If Only, If Only
by Eyes of Shinigami
Summary: Upon entering a rather normal looking village, a woman claims that Goku is her son and vows to take him back. What will Sanzo and the rest do when she actually succeeds? COMPLETE! YAY!
1. 1

-1

TITLE: If Only, If Only

AUTHOR: Eyes of Shinigami

RATING: T

TIMELINE: Set after the Kami-sama arc. Seeing as how this particular timeline is following the anime, the Homura arc will be mentioned. Just FYI.

PAIRINGS: 58 and eventual 39.

WARNINGS: Slash, angst, some fluffy bits, language, maybe some slight OOC.

SUMMARY: Upon entering a rather normal looking village, a woman claims that Goku is her son and vows to take him back. What will Sanzo and the rest do when she actually succeeds? Read and find out.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Saiyuki. That privilege belongs to Minekura-sama. I do own the story and the original characters used, so there.

----1-----

"Well, doesn't this look like a nice, quiet village?" Hakkai asked cheerily, parking the jeep in front of what seemed to be the only hotel in the entirety of the village. However, he knew very well that his companions (as well as himself) were more than tired from the day's journey, as well as the fact that they hadn't found a proper place to stay in nearly three days. Camping outside was beginning to get really, really old.

"I could really give a rat's ass right about now," Gojyo responded flippantly, hopping out of the backseat before prodding Goku from his gentle slumber. "Hey monkey, we're here."

It took Goku a few minutes to blink awake, rubbing his bleary eyes on the back of his hands. "A-already? Wow…" he murmured, awake enough to take the time to look around. The village seemed normal enough, but something about the atmosphere set the golden-eyed boy's nerves on edge.

"Is something the matter? Or are you just going to sit there while the rest of us unload the jeep?" a familiar voice asked in annoyance, just enough to make Goku snap from his reverie. He turned to face Sanzo, who was staring rather intently at him.

"I'm coming, I'm coming, sheesh," he replied, climbing rather ungracefully out of the backseat and starting to help Gojyo unload their belongings. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had, even going so far as to wait until Sanzo disappeared inside the building before getting the attention of his redheaded companion. "Hey, Gojyo…do you…get a funny feeling being here?" he asked vaguely, unable to look the other man in the eyes.

"No…what the hell is wrong with you? Didja hit your head or something on the way here? This village is fine. I think all the heat and demon-fighting's making ya as loony as Sanzo with that shit," the water sprite retorted, though he did take note of the monkey's expression before it dissipated into his usual smile. He wasn't sure if he should take him seriously or not.

Goku wasn't convinced, but he did his best to pretend as he let out a laugh and plastered on a wide smile. "Guess you're right. Maybe the hunger's just making me crazy!" he responded jovially, taking it upon himself to disappear into the building before Gojyo had a chance to ask him about it again.

The redhead sighed, more than a little confused. Maybe the monkey was right, but…he felt fine. His senses told him nothing was wrong. "Fuckin' monkey," he muttered, following the others inside the building that they would call home for the night.

------

Once inside, the four companions were pleased to see there wasn't much hustle and bustle around the small hostel, a sight that would promise a night of rest and relaxation.

Or at least, so it would seem.

"Malachai? My…little Mal…? Is that you…?" Goku heard a tentative voice ask, causing him to turn around and see. The nervous feeling intensified when his spun gold eyes met a pair that looked…exactly like his own. In fact, the woman that had spoken to him looked miraculously like him, down to the same round face and lack of height.

"Goodness what is all the…" Hakkai started to say, his words cut off by the startled gasp that left his lips when he saw the two mirror images staring each other down. "Oh my…what in the…"

"What the hell is going on here?" Sanzo asked angrily, not liking the way this woman was studying Goku. He looked from one round face to the other, more then tempted to step in front of his charge to put distance between the two of them. But then, that would be far too telling of a gesture, and that was something he didn't need to worry about now.

"Malachai…you've come home to Mommy…I knew you would…" the woman spoke again, wrapping her arms around Goku and pulling her tightly to her less than ample bosom. She was taller than Goku for sure, but still much shorter than his companions that stood agape in shock. Even the monkey was at a loss for words, a phenomenon unto itself. "I've missed you so much…please forgive Mommy for being so bad…" There was so much conviction in her voice, clearly showing that she was more than sure that this was her son.

She kept a tight, tight hold on Goku until Hakkai politely cleared his throat to get her attention. However, he was not expecting to receive such a poisonous glare as a reaction. "Pardon me, ma'am, but I do believe you are mistaken. His name is not Malachai," he intoned in his usual mannerly way, finding himself uncomfortable with the weight of her eyes upon him. "His name is-"

"It doesn't matter what his name is. Look, lady, this kid is not who you think he is. Now, if you will excuse us, we have had a very busy day and we are quite tired, so we'll be off," Sanzo cut in, interrupting the green-eyed man before he had a chance to finish his sentence. It seemed that Hakkai was not the only one uncomfortable with the exchange.

"I have heard of you, you hack. Claiming to be a holy man while on a journey with two abominations of God and slaughtering everything that gets in your path. How dare you! If I had known that my precious baby was going to end up with a man of _your _character, I would have never let him go off on his own!" she snapped angrily at Sanzo, sounding for all the world like she was indeed Goku's own mother. This surprised all members of the party, for they were all sure that they had never heard someone scold the blonde so openly. She hugged Goku more tightly to her, even as the boy began to struggle against the unwanted embrace.

It didn't take long for Sanzo to regain his composure and return her glare with own of his own famous ones. How dare this…hussy insult him like that? And how dare she claim that she knew what was best for a boy she had never met before? "Listen lady-" he started to snarl in response, finding himself interrupted by the older brunette.

"Miss, as noble as your intentions are, I do have to agree with my companion on this. I can assure you that this is the first time we have set foot in this village, and that Goku here has been with us for quite some time. We are from the East, you see, and we are merely passing through," he tried to explain rather diplomatically, before the situation got anymore out of hand than it already was.

"So, give us back our monkey and go about your business," Gojyo added sneeringly, grabbing Goku's arm and tugging him rather unceremoniously out of her grip. He kept his own hand firmly on the monkey's arm in case she tried to grab him again.

The woman kept right on glaring challengingly at the three of them, though she made no move to try and grab the boy back. "I don't care what sort of lies fall from those pretty lips of yours, mister. A mother would know her child anywhere. I don't know what sort of distorted nonsense you put in his head while he was away, but it's going to stop here. I don't understand how people think a fake Buddhist monk, a bumbling half-breed, and a man with eyes like the Devil himself are any sort of heroes, with you going around and picking up children and brainwashing them," she continued to scold, her frown deepening as she continued to meet their gazes. She easily stared down angry vermillion, cold violet, and enigmatic emerald without the slightest bit of hesitation.

Perhaps Gojyo would have been impressed with her boldness, if her comment hadn't stung so badly. The last thing he wanted was to be lumped in the same category as _that _asshole (1). "I don't know what the hell you're on, lady, but you need to back the fuck off before you find yourself in a very nasty situation," he warned, not even bothering to care that this was a woman that he was speaking to, and an older one at that.

"I quite agree. I was trying to be polite and understanding with you, but you are trying my patience like nobody's business," Hakkai added, narrowing his eyes at her. He didn't appreciate her little comment either, causing his sensei-polite mode to wear thin rather quickly.

Sanzo didn't even bother to respond, pulling out his gun and aiming it for her forehead. Even then she didn't show signs of backing down, which served to piss him off even more.

The woman didn't even flinch, softening her gaze as she turned it from the three men to the boy still clutched tightly in the redhead's grip. "Ignore these men, Mal. Come on, come to Mommy. I'll take you home and fix you your favorite dishes. Your room is waiting for you, and even Kuro will be happy to see you! He's missed you so much!" she said soothingly, holding out her hand to him as she smiled warmly.

As if on cue, Goku's stomach growled at the mention of food, but he made no move to take her hand or go toward her. Instead, he clutched at Sanzo's robes like a confused child as he shook his head. Something about the way she looked at him scared him more than fighting demons or even demigods ever could. "I-I'm not M-Mal…m-my name is G-Goku and I-I don't w-want t-to go w-with you," he stammered, tearing his gaze away from her shocked expression. He knew he was being rather weak, but something in her eyes…the way she looked at him struck fear into him the same way Homura's eyes had. It was bordering obsession, though he couldn't really fault her for it. Still, he would have preferred if she would have just left them alone.

Thankfully, none of the others had pointed his behavior out; in fact, they all seemed to look rather smug with the knowledge that he wasn't so easily swayed. "Now that that's settled, I think you need to get the hell out of here and leave us alone. The monkey belongs to me," Sanzo said, not catching his slip of the tongue as he turned with the others, with Goku still attached to his robes.

Before they could get very far, the woman spoke again. Her initial shock at being rejected wore off, giving way to another angry glare. "You can't take my baby from me forever…I'll make him remember me…he'll come home to be with his mother, you watch! Such evil men you are!" she screeched, until finally the hostel manager came into the room, motioning for two other men to escort her out of the building.

The manager bowed respectfully to the four of them, looking decidedly embarrassed. "I am so sorry, Master Sanzo, for such nonsense. You must forgive Miss Hanna…she hasn't been the same since her son disappeared," he explained, a bit surprised when a dismissive hand wave was all he received from the stoic priest.

"Yes, well…please ensure that we have no other incidents this evening. We are quite exhausted from our journey," Hakkai answered, offering a bow of his own before heading up the stairs behind his companions.

_\(1-I was talking about Kami-sama, if anybody missed that. I know there will be at least one person out there who wouldn't get it, so I thought I would save myself the trouble. Now, back to our regularly scheduled fanfic)_


	2. 2

-----2-----

Hanna was clearly not pleased with being thrown out so easily, but that did not mean that she was giving up. No, she had found her beloved Malachai after searching for so long and she was going to get him back from those horrible men. _How could they brainwash a child so thoroughly? I bet that priest is even doing inappropriate things to him! _she thought, her cheeks flushing with anger as she stomped down the street. In fact, she was so deep in her own muddled thoughts that she barely heard the sound of someone trying to get her attention.

"Excuse me, but are you Miss Hanna Ishimoto?" a breathy, barely decipherable voice called, causing the brunette woman to turn sharply on her heel. The voice belonged to a rather scruffy looking man, wearing a strange looking coat and holding what appeared to be a bunny doll at his side.

"So what if I am? Who exactly are you?" she asked defensively, taking a step back. She didn't like the way those ebony eyes were studying her, giving her the feeling that she needed to take a bath to wash the film of imaginary filth off of her skin.

The man looked unperturbed by her reaction, continuing to lean casually against the wall were he was stationed. "Oh, simply an empathizer. I overheard the commotion in the hostel, and had to offer my services. You see, I am a doctor…and I specialize in the study of the mind," he offered evenly in explanation. He took a slow drag from his cigarette, looking up to meet her eyes for the first time since they started speaking.

Despite herself, he had caught her interest. "What exactly do you mean by that?" she asked cautiously, trying not to sound as eager for a response as she felt. Something about this man made her skin crawl, but his charisma was undeniable. Especially with the way their conversation was heading.

The man's smile broadened, slightly lopsided as he clutched the bunny more tightly to him. "I mean, I may be able to help you."

------

Several hours had passed since the incident with the strange woman, but Goku still seemed to be mulling over it. He had been unusually quiet throughout dinner, even only offering a soft 'thanks' when Hakkai gave him a bag of his favorite meat buns from his trip to the market for supplies. Currently, he was locked in his room, having only mumbled a goodnight greeting to the others in the common room connecting their two rooms.

"Something's gotta be seriously wrong with the monkey's brain…something that crazy bitch musta said is bugging him," Gojyo noted, glancing from Hakkai's worried expression to the back of Sanzo's newspaper. Both were strangely quiet as well.

"I have to say I agree. Though I have to say, the resemblance between the two of them was rather striking," the green-eyed man commented, startled from sipping his tea when he heard Sanzo slam his own cup down onto the table. "I was merely stating…"

"Well, don't. It's bad enough that the stupid monkey's brooding over it, I don't need you two idiots doing it too," he growled menacingly from behind his paper, clenching it tightly in his fists. He couldn't admit that he was jealous, and slightly afraid. What if the monkey was thinking of running off, before he could…no. That didn't even warrant thinking about.

However, he didn't really need to say anything, as his two comrades were more perceptive than he was comfortable with. "Spill it, Sanzo. You're pissed because she got to him before you could. Maybe if ya actually said something to him," Gojyo said, cut off when the usual warning shot whizzed past his head threateningly. He sighed, looking at Hakkai for support on this.

"Sanzo, that was uncalled for. We're not as stupid as you like to think we are. I doubt Goku is either, but this dancing around each other is getting rather tiresome to deal with. After all, you cannot fault him for 'brooding', as it were. He never knew the love of a mother, or father, for that matter. For him, we are the closest thing to a family Goku has ever encountered, you more so than Gojyo and myself. As hard as it is for you to admit, you know it's true. We all are alike in that respect, though we managed to find it in other places," the brunette replied evenly, practically able to feel the silence thickening in the air around them. "You were fortunate to have your Master for such a time, Gojyo had his older brother, and I had Kanan. Though, such things were briefer than we would have liked, we still had it. If what you say about Goku is true…imagine being in a cave alone for five hundred years, and then think about his reaction again." Hakkai's words trailed off after that, giving both the blonde and the redhead something to chew on for a bit. He sipped his tea, feeling relieved when the tension began to drain away.

The thoughtful silence stretched between them, until Gojyo's audible yawn echoed through the quiet room. "I guess it's time to hit the hay. I think we all wanna get the hell out of this village as soon as we can," he said, stretching and getting up from his chair to head toward the room he would be sharing with Goku.

Until… "Wait. I'll go," Sanzo said simply, the expression on his face clearly indicating that there was to be nothing said and no arguments. Gojyo nodded compliantly, tossing confused look at Hakkai, who only shrugged. They both watched as the blonde disappeared into the room, before looking at each other.

"Interesting development, wouldn't you say?" the green-eyed man commented, accentuating his mild shock with a chuckle. He sipped the last of his tea, setting the cup down before looking at Gojyo with a rather intense look on his face. "Since we're going to be sharing a room tonight…"

The redhead caught the double meaning to that seemingly bland statement, smirking despite himself. "Well, when you put it that way…" he said, less than innocently as he quickly followed his green-eyed lover into their bedroom.

Meanwhile, Sanzo walked into the bedroom he would be sharing with the monkey, surprised to find him fast asleep in the window. He thought about waking him to move him, but decided not to when he noticed how peaceful the boy looked as he slept. "Dumb monkey," he muttered, allowing a very, very rare smile to grace his face as he picked his sleeping charge up and set him in the nearby bed. He stared for a moment, his apathetic mask falling away in the darkness, knowing that nobody could see it.

The boy was beautiful, even in sleep, and Sanzo couldn't help but keep smiling. He had been struggling with his feelings for his charge for God knows how long, trying to keep them strictly keeper-charge as not to complicate his life further. He had tried to convince himself that it would be weakness on his part, breaking the promise that he had made so long ago. But…it was proving harder than he anticipated.

He brushed a lock of brown hair from the tanned face, secretly delighting in the way the skin felt beneath his fingertips. _If only the others could see me like this, _he thought wryly, slipping into the bed with his charge after he shrugged off his robes. Clad only in his jeans and leather garments, he wrapped his arms protectively around Goku's smaller frame and pulled him closer. A soft murmur was his only reply, as Goku easily fell into the embrace even in sleep. Feeling emboldened, the priest planted a delicate kiss on the tanned cheek before once again laying back on his pillow. Perhaps tomorrow would be a good day to talk to Goku about all this nonsense. Maybe.

-----

_(A/N- Okay, forgive me if Sanzo seemed a trite OOC. I've always thought that deep down he could have a gooey center despite his hard candy covering. He is only human, after all. I'm not gonna go wild here, since it is Sanzo, after all. Expect the prickly stoic priest we all know and love to stay just the way he is.)_


	3. 3

-----3-----

"And just where have you been? There are far too many tasks that need completing for you to be gallivanting around!" Dr. Huang growled angrily, stamping her foot when Nii just brushed her off with a wave of his hand. In a fit, she threw the clipboard she had been holding in his general direction, just barely missing his head as he took his seat in front of his computer.

"Such a temper, Dr. Huang. You really need to get laid or something," he commented coolly, causing her to stamp her foot again in frustration and possibly embarrassment. "Anyway, if you really want to know, I was simply out to further my newest study."

That caught her interest. "How so? You mean the one on the memory replacement drug that you were harping about the other day?" she asked, retrieving her clipboard from the floor where it had fallen.

He tapped his forehead, his smile widening. "Yes, that one. Let's just say I found a perfect guinea pig," he said vaguely, turning toward his computer to signal that the conversation was over. Dr. Huang simply snorted in frustration, deciding it would be best just to leave him be until he decided that he wanted to tell her more about it.

When the click of her high heels faded in the distance, Nii couldn't help the smirk that crossed his features at the idea of his latest venture against the Sanzo party. It gave him chills just thinking back on the interesting talk with the woman in the village.

_"What do you mean, you can help me? Why in the world should I trust a complete stranger like you?" Hanna questioned, rightfully so. This man was creeping her out just by being around her. _

_"Well, I told you, I am a doctor that specializes in memory and the workings of the mind. What if I told you that I could give you a medicine that would restore your son's memories to him?" _

_Hanna's eyes widened in shock, even as her hands flew to cover her now-open mouth. "Y-You could do that? You could help me get my Malachai back from that horrid Sanzo priest?" she questioned, grabbing onto his coat without thinking. Her eyes shone with determination and a light of hope. _

_"Of course, my dear woman. After all, I hate seeing such a devoted mother like yourself in such pain. Sanzo is indeed infamous for taking things that other people want and need," the man replied enigmatically, patting her reassuringly on her shoulder despite the tone of his voice. He continued to smile pristinely at her, reaching into his lab coat and handing her a bag. _

_"But this…this is a bag of…m-meat buns," she noted confusedly, opening the bag when the smell had wafted through the paper. She looked to him for an explanation for receiving such a strange thing. He was supposed to be helping her get her son back, not giving her handouts!_

_The man chuckled, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and tossing on the ground before crushing it with the heel of his boot. "How perceptive you are. You see, it would seem that your son has developed quite a taste for meat buns on his travels with the Sanzo party. Inside each and every one of these buns is a dose of my medication, so that the others won't suspect a thing! Isn't that clever?" _

_She had to admit it was. "So…all I have to do is get these to Malachai and he'll remember everything?" she inquired eagerly, unable to contain her joy at such a prospect. Finally, she would be able to make up all the horrible things that had happened to separate her from her precious child. _

_"Not quite, dear lady. You see, you will have to help him remember at first. As time wears on, he will begin to remember more and more. Soon, he will forget all about Sanzo and the others, as well as the journey that they are on," he instructed her, handing her a vial of pink liquid as well. "You will also have to keep administering the medication, like a follow-up. It will take some time to get his memory back completely, so make sure you give him this twice a day. If you ever run out, I will know where to find you to replenish your supply."_

_Hanna nodded, barely able to believe her good fortune. She knew the perfect person to help get these to her son and to help her gather the boy as well. "Oh doctor…how can I ever repay you for this?" she asked, clearly willing to do anything. She didn't very much like the idea of what the lecherous-seeming doctor would have in mind, but it would be well worth it if Malachai was returned to her. _

_But to hers surprise, the man shook his head. "The knowledge that I have done at least one good deed will be enough. I only wish you and your son the best," the doctor replied, waving his hand as he started walking down the street. Hanna thought about catching up with him, but changed her mind. She needed to get to Maru's place as quick as she could._

_----- _


	4. 4

-----4-----

Sanzo woke to the sound of hurried footsteps thumping rather loudly outside the door of the room, cursing the others for waking him up so damned early. He knew that the monkey and the sprite were capable of such an action, but he thought Hakkai would have more sense than that. He turned over, not surprised to find that Goku was not in the bed with him anymore; the monkey was more than likely having breakfast with the other members of their party.

He was surprised, however, when Hakkai came bursting into the room with Gojyo soon in tow. "What the hell has gotten into you two? Have you lost your pea-sized minds?" Sanzo griped, slowly making his way out of the bed to light a cigarette.

"No time for insults, blondie. The monkey's gone missing!" Gojyo supplied, looking frantic enough to make the priest nervous. Surely Goku was just downstairs or outside waiting for them?

As if reading Sanzo's mind, the green-eyed man shook his head. "We've checked everywhere, Sanzo. Not only that, but all of Goku's things are still here, including his shoes and clothes," Hakkai said fretfully, even going so far as to motion to where the aforementioned items were still sitting, untouched.

"You think he bailed on us?" Sanzo asked coolly, taking a drag on his cigarette. He was worried, yes, but he reacted in the only way he knew how; apathy.

"Truthfully, no. Goku would have enough sense to take his clothes at least if he was planning such a thing. As much as I hate to admit it, there is reason to believe that he was kidnapped."

Gojyo slammed his fist into the wall with an angry snarl. "I bet it was that bitch. I bet she had some lackey here that did something to him while we were sleeping. I mean, you two were in the same damn bed! How the hell did they pull that off!" he asked, not even noticing Sanzo's glare at his sleeping habits being pointed out. Not that it mattered at the moment, he reminded himself. Goku was missing and there was a possibility that there was foul play afoot.

"Perhaps we were drugged…there are plenty of airborne sedatives that could be used. That has to be the case, because we all know Goku wouldn't have gone anywhere without a fight. A fight that would have surely woken you, Sanzo, and alerted us," Hakkai mentioned, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the now open door.

"That's true enough. Someone's going to die for this," Sanzo replied, sitting down on the bed and looking at his two companions. Violet eyes danced with anger, even as his face remained impassive and emotionless. "What'll we do now?"

Hakkai let out a long sigh, closing his eyes in thought. "The best of course of action would most likely to be to start asking around. We are all in agreement that this has to do with that Hanna woman, so we have a likely culprit. Finding out where she would be, where she lives, and if anyone has seen her with a boy in tow is the first step."

Sanzo nodded in agreement, looking to Gojyo who was still stewing quietly in his own corner of the room. "I don't give a shit if she is a chick…I am going to kick her ass into next week," he said finally, raising a chuckle out of Hakkai and surprising a small snort from Sanzo.

"Only after I get to her first," Sanzo said dangerously, the brief moment of amusement disappearing beneath an angry scowl. "We do not need any more of this bullshit. We've been set back enough as it is, damn it."

"Don't forget about me. The very nerve of that woman," Hakkai added, his own expression taking on that creepy smile he wore when he was on the attack. He made no comment about Sanzo's addition to his threat, both for the priest's comfort and for his own sanity.

"Not only did that crazy bitch insult _us, _she also had the balls to steal our monkey," Gojyo said, thrusting his fist into his open palm with a dangerous smirk. "And nobody gets away with that shit."

-----

The light was bright, too bright as it filtered in through the window and into the eyes of the bed's current occupant. Bleary eyes opened slowly, accompanied by a faint hiss as sunlight streamed into his line of vision. However, when the room came into full view, he found himself startled by his very unfamiliar surroundings.

"What…where am I?" he asked, furiously trying to remember where he was and how he had gotten there in the first place. Fragmented pieces of memory flitted through his head, but nothing made enough sense to adequately answer his question. Hell, he couldn't even seem to remember his own name. Why did his head hurt so bad, and why were his thoughts so fuzzy?

"So, you're awake now. That was quite a nasty spill you took down the stairs, I didn't know when you were going to wake up," an unfamiliar feminine voice asked, the sudden swipe of a hand brushing across his forehead causing him to jump. That voice, he had heard it somewhere before…

Her face materialized, giving him pause when her eyes met his own wide, panicked ones. "What…what happened? Who are you?" he asked softly, drawing away from the hand. Something felt wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Maybe it was the fact that he couldn't remember anything.

"I'm your mother, silly. You tripped on the stairs and hit your head two days ago. The doctor said that you might have some problems remembering things, considering where your head hit the floor," she explained patiently, resting her hands in her lap as she looked at him. "Your name is Malachai Ishimoto, and you're in your room at home."

He looked at her curiously, trying to take what she said and see if it matched the fuzzy images floating around in his head. No such luck. "Malachai…that's me, isn't it?" he asked again, his words cut off when a blur of black fur collided into his chest. "Kuro!" he said, the name conjured up from…memory?

The woman, his mother, looked visibly surprised at that, before her face fell back into her patient smile. "I knew you would remember Kuro. He is your best friend, after all," she supplied, watching the exchange between the boy and the dog. She was surprised that the dog had acted so friendly, but it didn't matter. He was her Malachai regardless of what anyone had to say about it and Kuro's behavior was just another cementation of her belief.

So his name was Malachai. Interesting. "I-I suppose. I'm sorry for all of this…I just wish I could remember. Sorry, Mama," he answered softly, patting the black collie between the ears. He wasn't able to look the woman in the face for too long, given that every time their eyes met he was reminded that something felt off about the whole situation. Perhaps the smart thing to do would be to wait it out and see what happened.

"How about I bring you breakfast in bed? What would you like? Maybe some…chocolate chip pancakes? Those are your favorites, you know," his mother asked, reaching out and gingerly touching his hair as she seemed to disregard his statement completely. There was something vaguely familiar about such an action, though a flash of green instead of gold flitted through his head. Strange, for sure.

He masked his thoughtful expression with a wide smile, deciding to just play along for the time being. Maybe being around this woman would bring back the memories that had been stolen from him in the…fall? "That sounds great, Mama. How about I come downstairs and help you?" he asked brightly, watching as a pleased smile crossed her face. A warm feeling bubbled inside him at that, banishing the lingering doubts for the moment.

Malachai watched his mother exit his room and waited until her footsteps vanished down the stairs before getting out of bed and beginning to change his clothes. Why was it so out of character to consider calling her mother in the first place? He couldn't wrap his head around it, deciding yet again to just leave it alone for the time being. Hopefully things would begin to make more sense later on.

-----

_(A/N: Sorry if this part is a bit disjointed and slightly hard to follow. Forgive me, as it is supposed to be that way. If you have complaints, well…I don't know what to tell you. Really.)_


	5. 5

-----5-----

"This. Sucks. Total. Ass. You would think that at least one person in this _whole_ goddamn town would know _something_," Gojyo griped, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow as the three of them collapsed at a table in the nearby restaurant. Not a single one of them had any appetite, but it was a welcome reprieve after being on their feet almost the whole day. "Damn town sure didn't seem this big when we first got here."

Sanzo snorted in vague amusement at that, lighting up a cigarette and taking a much-needed drag. He released the smoke in the air, sighing in discreet pleasure at the slight ease on his nerves. "I think it may be more of a case that no one wants to help us. That fucking woman couldn't have just vanished into thin air."

"Naturally. It seems that everyone we have asked today was struck with a case of deficiency of memory. I do believe that this whole mess is running a little bit deeper than we had first thought," Hakkai supplied, looking just as distraught and tense as the other two despite the pleasant smile on his face. The course of the day had strained his polite expression to its limits, making him look almost pained at the effort.

It didn't take Gojyo long to light up either, taking his own welcome inhale of smoke. "And wouldn't you know that the stupid monkey said something was weird here. Of all the times for me NOT to listen to dumb monkey logic, eh? I don't know, guys."

"We're going to find Goku if I have to tear this entire fucking town apart with my own bare hands. I do not need any more of these stupid setbacks that should have nothing to do with us in the first place," Sanzo said by way of reply, though the other two knew what he truly meant by his words. Of course, neither one of them was up for calling him on it, so they silently agreed to just let it go this time.

"Sure thing, monk. Hey, Hakkai…despite the probability of sounding like the monkey, are there any of those meat buns left? I'm not hungry but I think it would best to put something in my system, you know?" Gojyo asked in his usual tease of a tone.

Hakkai offered a genuine smile, handing the small bag to the redhead in answer to his question. However, as Gojyo lifted one of the buns to his mouth, the green-eyed man found it necessary to stop him. "Gojyo, wait a second. Let me see that bun," he said rather sternly, much more than he intended. Disappointed, the other man handed him the uneaten bun.

Both Sanzo and Gojyo watched their friend inspect the food, their own version of a curious look on each of their faces as they waited to see what the big deal was. It was just another meat bun, after all. Several minutes passed, and finally one of them cracked. "Damn it, Hakkai. What the hell is your problem? It's just a damn meat bun, leave it alone!"

"Actually, Sanzo. This is no ordinary meat bun. Look," Hakkai said, motioning to a strange bruise on the side of otherwise pristine surface. They wouldn't have noticed it, but a bruise did not belong on a pastry filled with meat.

"Eww…and to think I almost ate that. What the hell kind of shit were you feeding the monkey, babe?" Gojyo teased, though his humor died when Hakkai turned his serious expression on him. Anything else he might have been planning on saying was swallowed with the sudden lump in his throat.

"Apparently, this meat bun was tampered with. Someone knew that I was more than likely going to buy meat buns for Goku, which means that these buns were slipped into a batch of otherwise ordinary ones. Do you know what this means?"

Sanzo smirked, his eyes glittering dangerously. "It means that we are going to go take a walk to the bun shop, yes?"

-----

Maru turned the sign around, whistling merrily as he pulled out the key to lock the door. Another day of work put behind him, it was time to go home and enjoy the evening. He had sold dozens of buns today, which caused his already good mood to soar even higher. At least, until he noticed the three rather ominous figures heading toward his shop.

"I'm sorry, gentleman, but my shop is closed for the day. You'll have to come back tomorrow," he said as pleasantly as he could, trying to keep his voice from shaking. Oh yes, he knew who these three men were; their reputation preceded them, after all.

"The only buns we're interested in are the ones that you sold yesterday, got that? And you are going to tell me what I want to know, or I am going to blow your fucking brains out," the blonde said, looking at him with the most poisonous glare that he was sure he had ever seen. This one had to be the Sanzo priest Hanna had mentioned.

Maru couldn't help but shake at that, knowing that there was no one else to call for help. Despite his size and bulk, he knew perfectly well that these men were capable of taking out thousands of demons in one sitting. It wouldn't have mattered if he had outweighed them or not. "I-I don't know what you're talking about, sir. I just sell buns," he tried, until he felt cold metal press against his forehead. He didn't even have to look to know what _that _was.

"What he's trying to say is, we're on to you, porky. We know about the meat buns that psycho bitch had you slip us, and if you want to live another day you had better tell us what the hell is going on with this shit," the redhead sneered, leaning against a very ominous looking weapon of his own. Bumbling half-breed indeed; there was certainly nothing very clumsy-looking about him.

"And to be completely honest, we are in no mood to deal with any sort of games or distractions that you may decide to think up to get yourself out of your predicament. If I were you, I would simply do as we say and explain why in the world you would aid in a kidnapping," the monocle-wearing one said, glaring coolly at him even with that polite smile on his thin lips. A visible shudder ran down Maru's back at that.

The larger man swallowed heavily, glancing around the empty street as though truly weighing what sort of options he had. The gun pressed to his head, the deadly looking thingie that the redhead was packing, and the very expression on the other man's face were enough to convince him. "All right, all right. Come on inside," Maru said, swinging open the door again with a rather heavy sigh. So much for his pleasant, peaceful evening.


	6. 6

-----6-----

Hanna couldn't have been happier; watching her treasured son play outside with the dog was just too sweet for words. It was just like old times, her watchful eye trained on him as she did the dishes. The whole image set her formerly troubled mind at rest.

"Mal, honey, it's time to come inside. You need to wash up for dinner," she called out the open window, smiling as he obediently trundled inside despite the disappointed look on his face. "You can play outside tomorrow."

He nodded, flashing that brilliant smile at her for the millionth time that day. Nothing else mattered but that smile. "When are we going into town again? I want to get Kuro a new collar," he chattered happily, washing his hands underneath the rapidly flowing water. Of course, his smile hid the conflicting feelings that he was still trying to sort through, but he wouldn't dare let her see them. It would be unfair to take away her happiness.

However, he did notice that she visibly flinched at the mention of the trip into town. "I don't know, Mal. It may too soon for you after your injury for you to go running around such a crowded place," she replied vaguely, as though even she didn't believe the words she had just spoken. As she turned her back, he made a slight face, allowing it to disappear when she turned back towards him.

"Of course. I was just asking," he answered brightly, nervously scratching the top his head. That small action caused Hanna's attention to stray toward his forehead, noticing the golden coronet for the first time. Inwardly she panicked, knowing that the world she was slowly rebuilding could be shaken by such a thing. If she could just get rid of it.

"NO!" Malachai screeched forcibly, jerking almost painfully away from her when she reached for his head. He didn't understand why, but he knew that it was a very, very bad idea for her to touch it. "I mean, just don't. I-I don't know why, but you can't touch that. Don't make me take it off, please." His tone was low and pleading, sounding for all the world like a child whose very hopes could be shattered by her next words.

Hanna visibly softened, deciding that maybe it wasn't such a threat after all. "All right. I'm sorry, Mal. Please forgive me," she murmured, enveloping him in a secure hug to show that she meant it.

Malachai returned it full-force, ignoring the strange feeling that the action produced. He felt as if he was betraying something by allowing her to touch him so tenderly, flashes of gold and violet scattered across his closed eyelids. Green and crimson followed, until his head began to ache and forced him to open his eyes again. "Of course, Mama. Let's just eat dinner. Kuro looks so hungry he may eat us!"

Once again, that warm smile that she loved so much broke her from her darkness, letting go of him as they made their way to the set dinner table. _You're mine, no matter what. I can't give you up, not now. Even if I have to fight to keep you, you'll be with me forever, Goku. You're Malachai forever and for always._

-----

Sanzo lit a cigarette, the tip glowing just as brightly as the small candle that lit the otherwise darkened room. He sat across from the owner of the bun shop, still glowering angrily at him. "Start talking. The sooner you start, the sooner we leave you alone. Don't make me repeat myself again," he deadpanned, the fire in his eyes more than making up for the lack of emotion in his voice.

The hefty man swallowed heavily, looking at the three surrounding faces. "The buns…Hanna gave them to me. I didn't look at them or anything, so I couldn't tell you what happened to them. She said to be on the lookout for men matching your descriptions, and to give you these particular buns. She's a nice woman, so naturally I trusted her. She told me she made them especially for you," he answered truthfully, dabbing at his brow with a handkerchief of sorts that he tucked into his pocket. He was a bundle of shaking nerves, not sure whether these men would be good on their word that they would leave once this was over.

The green-eyed man pulled out one of the buns from the bag he was clutching, handing it to the other man with that damnable polite look on his face. "Inspect this bun and tell me what you think," he commanded softly.

Thinking it a strange request, Maru did as he was told so not to engage in any more conflict than necessary. It took him a minute or two, but he finally noticed the ugly mark on the side of the pastry. "How…odd. Meat buns…well, any sort of buns actually, are not supposed to bruise like that. It looks like something you would find on a fruit," he noted, handing the item back to the man.

"So you are saying that you didn't tamper with the buns, that it was that crazy lady who did? God, can this get any more complicated!" the redhead shouted angrily, slamming his fist down on the table and startling the other three. A fierce glare from the blonde had him shrinking back in his seat. "Sorry," he muttered sheepishly.

The blonde rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Something about this whole mess was just not adding up, no matter how much he thought about it. "Apparently she just used you as a way to get them to us. So much for her being a trustworthy friend," he stated rather flatly.

"I still cannot seem to figure out why in the world someone would want to take Goku like that. Cute as he is, it just doesn't make sense," the brunette added, disregarding the blonde's statement entirely.

Suddenly, the tension in the room went from mild to chokingly thick in a matter of seconds. A slight cough caught the attention of the other three, bringing multi-colored gazes onto the heavy man at the end of the table. "This Goku of yours…had brown hair and gold eyes, eh?" he asked, feeling incredibly guilty now as he remembered the rumors that he had heard about the Sanzo party . She had been so convinced, so sincere, how could he have known that she was lying? But then again, the woman was not so much in her right mind half the time.

"Yes, yes he does. Why is that of any importance?" the green-eyed man asked, his tone a bit gentler now.

"Well…so did Hanna's kid, Malachai. I'm sure you saw her, so you see the resemblance. Hanna and her husband moved to this town about three years ago with their son. The kid was wildly energetic, but a nice kid nonetheless," Maru said, daring to look up in the faces of his guests and surprised to see the wealth of emotion held behind their masked expressions. Of course, that did nothing to ease how bad he felt about aiding in their pain.

"Now that you mention it…I do seem to remember her making a fuss about Goku being her child and all that," Hakkai mentioned, inwardly slapping himself at forgetting such an important detail. How could he not remember such a ruckus?

"He certainly sounds like a certain little monkey we all know," the redhead teased, a slight strain evident in his voice. The other two nodded in agreement, and then looked to the man to continue his story.

"Well, I'm sure you also know about the whole demon population going crazy. Well, Hanna's always been a little weird about her kid, almost too overprotective. She never really let him out of her sight or anything. Anyway, one day the kid's dad decided to take a trip with the boy, sort of like a father-son bonding thing…and…they were attacked. Both of them were killed instantly."

"How…awful. That…poor woman," the green-eyed man offered kindly, flinching when he noticed the questioning looks that his comment brought from his comrades. "Just because I pity her loss does not mean that it justifies taking Goku from us. Forgive me for having a heart."

The redhead reached for his hand, smiling crookedly at him when their eyes met. "It's cool, 'Kai. You really are too much, you know."

Maru cleared his throat again, slightly embarrassed at witness such a sentimental moment. He felt as though he was intruding by continuing his story. "Hanna sort of…lost her mind when she found out. She convinced herself that Malachai was still alive and lost, and managed to convince many of the townspeople too. I mean, you never want to accept that a kid died so cruelly, do you? The only thing I can think of is that she saw your friend and convinced herself that he was her son. How she did it, I don't know. I've told you all I know."

The three men stood at that, as the brunette bowed politely. "Thank you. I suppose we will just have to keep looking. Would you know where she is at the moment?" he asked kindly, making Maru glad that he could help. These guys weren't so bad when they weren't threatening your life.

"Honestly, no. She became rather reclusive when the accident occurred a couple of months ago, so there's no telling where she is now. Anyway, I wish you guys luck in your search and I hope I helped a little," he offered, bowing as well to show that he meant it. He watched them make their way out of his little shop, finding himself truly hoping that they got their friend back. "Sorry, Hanna. I can't help you this time."


	7. 7

-----7-----

The three companions walked back to their inn in silence, unsaid words hanging in the air around them. Not a single one of them knew what to say anyhow, since normally it was their energetic companion that kept the conversation rolling. "You know, I almost miss that damned monkey's whining all the time," Gojyo said thickly after a moment, clearing his throat when he noticed his tone of voice.

A small, strained smile dared to grace Hakkai's thin lips at that. "I…yes. I agree. Sanzo, what in the world are we going to do? Goku could be anywhere by now and there aren't any real leads, so-" he started to say, until Sanzo's voice cut him off.

"I'm not planning on leaving him, if that's what you're thinking. Like I said before, I am going to find Goku if I have to tear this town apart with my bare hands. People can't just go taking what belongs to us and thinking that they can get away with it. We sure didn't let Kami-sama get away with it, so why the fuck should some hussy have the pleasure?"

His words brought chuckles from his two comrades, allowing a thin smile of his own to appear behind the shade of his hand. "Got that right, monk-man. Should we keep looking tonight, or what?" Gojyo asked, yawning a bit and stretching as they neared the inn. However, his question fell to the wayside when a group of very familiar faces appeared in the now-empty street.

"So we meet again, Sanzo party," a deep voice called, as a certain red-haired demon prince stepped into the circle of light from the lanterns hanging near the door of the inn. "Now-"

"Please, spare us the speech. You're here for the scripture, you won't leave until you get it, blah blah blah-edy fucking blah. Got it, great. Now, why don't you guys come back when we're in the mood to play, eh?" Gojyo interrupted, turning without even waiting to hear an answer. Of all the times for Kougaiji and his group to appear…

The demon prince looked a bit shell-shocked at being refused at point-blank, but quickly regained his composure and stormed towards the other three. "Listen here, just because-" he started to say, again finding himself cut off when Sanzo pulled out his gun and aimed it directly at him.

"Did you not hear what the kappa said? I am not in the mood to deal with your fucking shit right now, got it? Now, back the fuck off before I pull this trigger and blow that pretty head off," the blonde threatened, his frown deepening when the indigo-eyed man showed no sign of backing down. The action reminded him too closely of more recent events than he cared to admit.

"Hey, where's the monkey? He's not here with you?" Lirin asked, cocking her head to the side as she glanced around the street. Usually it was Goku who tended to square off with her brother, giving her the chance to play with Baldie-head.

Hakkai decided that it was time he stepped in, before the tension escalated any further. "Let's see, how should I put this…? Goku was, well, kidnapped recently by a woman claiming that he was her son. We've spent the entire day looking for some sort of clue as to his current whereabouts, which brings us to the reason that we are in no mood to fight today," he said rather pleasantly, training hopeful eyes on his womanly counterpart that he usually had the pleasure of fighting with. Meeting her eyes, he was able to ignore the glare that came from his blonde companion at revealing so much to their so-called enemies.

"Oh my goodness! That's awful! Why would any one do such a thing?" Yaone asked, clasping her hands over her mouth in sympathy. She could only imagine what they were going through.

"That certainly puts us in an awkward position, doesn't it, Kou?" Dokugakuji asked, rubbing his forehead. The prince had to agree, of course. While this would have been the perfect time to strike against them, enemies or not there were certain boundaries that never got crossed. Since the two groups had met such unspoken rules had existed, leaving the prince unsure of what to do.

Finally, Kougaiji decided what to do. "All right, all right. Since I am a man of honor-" he started to say, until his sister interjected, interrupting him _yet _again.

"You're just mad because it means you can't fight Goku."

The red-haired demon snorted at that, half in amusement and half in irritation. "As I was saying, we will step down for now, until your party is back in full capacity. It would indeed be rude of me to challenge you when my counterpart is not here," he finished, bombarded with the sudden feeling that a certain doctor was involved in this somehow. It must have been instinctual, because there was certainly no way he could have known for sure. He certainly wouldn't have put it past the crazy scientist to cook up a scheme as grand as this one. "Before we go, let me ask you this: how in the world did one human woman manage to take Goku away from you?"

For a long, long moment the posed question hung in the air, until finally the green-eyed man let out a long sigh. "The truth is…we're not sure. It seems the meat buns that I bought for Goku had been tampered with, so it would seem that someone plotted against us with the woman. Goku and Sanzo were in the same room at the time, and yet he did not hear anything occur during the night. We know that Goku would not have gone without a fight, so truthfully…the whole situation isn't adding up," he admitted, looking a tad sheepish.

The same was not true for Kougaiji, finding himself very, very upset that this could have happened under his nose. "What would you say if I told you I would help you figure out what happened?" he asked cautiously, mildly annoyed at the dumbfounded looks that came from both parties following his inquiry.

"Seriously?" Gojyo asked, narrowing his eyes after a moment. "And what exactly would we have to give up in return?" As good as the offer had sounded, he and the other members of their party knew the prince well enough to expect some sort of trade.

"If you're going to ask for the Maten scripture, then forget it. We'll find Goku ourselves using our own devices," Sanzo added with a sneer, already one step ahead of the kappa. He could not give up the scripture, no matter how tempting the situation may be. It would not only be unwise, it would complicate things more than they already were.

Truthfully, Kougaiji had thought about it, but the idea had made him a trifle queasy. "Since you won't give up the scripture, then how about this for a compromise? When Goku is back, safe and sound, you will agree that we will indeed battle for the scripture, without any further interruptions. Deal?"

The three men each seemed to ponder the idea, finally deciding that it wasn't really all that bad of a bargain. "Sure, why the hell not? We'll give you a battle in return for helping us find the missing monkey," Gojyo supplied for all three of them, the other two nodding in affirmation.

"Then it's settled," the indigo-eyed demon affirmed as well, turning then towards his own party. "Here's what we are going to do: Yaone, you will stay with the Sanzo party and check the room and the meat buns for signs of poisons, drugs, you name it. Doku, you will stay here with them to help gather any sort of evidence you may find. Lirin, you are going to come back with me so as not to attract suspicion. We'll use that time to scope the castle to see if indeed that crazy man had anything to do with this," he commanded, pleased when the group immediately set to their assigned tasks without question. "I'll return when I know something, all right?"

Obviously addressing the Sanzo party with that particular statement, their self-appointed leader took it upon himself to answer. "Fine. I want this whole mess over and done with as soon as possible, got it? Delay too much and I'll shoot you when you get back," Sanzo griped as he lit another cigarette. The caustic words brought a slight smile to Kougaiji's face, sensing the deeper meaning in such a harsh statement. He dipped his head in a semblance of a nod before starting off, heading with Lirin in the direction of the town's exit.

"Now, shall we then?" Yaone asked cheerfully, pleased that this exchange had ended so well. "Why don't you boys go get something to eat and rest a bit while I search? I'm sure you've had a long day," she offered.

"Sounds good to me. Hey, Doku…you want to hang with us for a bit? We'll clue you in on what we know so far," Gojyo offered in reply, trying to hide his eagerness at getting the chance to spend some time with his brother that didn't involve trying to kill each other. At the older man's nod, even the cocky redhead couldn't hide his excitement.

"Don't forget the seriousness of the situation. This isn't some damned sleepover, you cockroach," Sanzo grumbled audibly, not looking forward to the evening already. His entire day's plans had been shot as it was, and now he had to spend the rest of it with the kappa and a very near likeness. Gods, he hoped that the older one had more sense…

"I think it might be wise if I assist Miss Yaone. How about you go on to bed, Sanzo? I'll bring you up some food before we get started," Hakkai offered, sensing the shift in Sanzo's mood. True, he was more attuned to the monk then either of them wanted to admit, but it all came down to the fact that the two of them were very much alike. A grunt was his response, which he took for confirmation of the plan. "Good, shall we then?"

-----

As the group dispersed into their respective directions, watchful eyes took in just what they were seeing on the screen before them. "Do you see that, Bunny? Perhaps this experiment will prove to be the most fun yet!"

-----

_(A/N: I hadn't originally planned on putting Kougaiji and company in here, but they just sort of popped up and decided to help. Should make for a very interesting plot twist with them involved. We shall see, indeed)_


	8. 8

-----8-----

"Mama! Mama! I'm going outside with Kuro, just-" Malachai started to say, looking slightly embarrassed when he noticed that he had just interrupted a conversation going on at the table between his mother and a man he was sure he had never seen before. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to be so rude. I was just letting you know where I was going."

Hanna smiled despite herself, not wanting to the boy to know where their conversation had been going. "Don't apologize, dear. You're just being my good little boy. I'll be out in a bit, and be sure not to get too dirty, since we're going into town today," she replied, watching as his entire face lit up with pleasure. Her eyes followed him as he made his way outside, the distance sound of his laughter fading as he moved further away from the house. Turning to the man, her face grew as serious as her next words. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. They're looking for him as we speak, but I highly doubt that they know where you are or what village you visit during your shopping trips. Just be on the lookout today, all right?" the doctor warned, reaching into his coat pocket. "I also came to give you this."

He handed her a rather small and ordinary looking box, chuckling when her quizzical expression met his own smirking one. "What is it?" she asked, not so sure she wanted to know. However, she trusted this man despite herself, given all that he had done for her.

"Just a little something in case they do find you and give you trouble. Don't open it unless you have no other option, do you understand?" the man's smirk faded at that, leaving his face serious and indicating that there was to be no argument. Hanna nodded obediently, tucking the box away into her apron pocket. The doctor watched as she did, clapping his hands together to regain her attention once more. "Now that that's settled…I suppose I should be on my way. After all, you have such big plans for today. Remember, just keep making him take that medicine, and everything will come in time."

Hanna bowed reverently, escorting the man out of the house. "Of course. I can't thank you enough, doctor. If there is anything, anything I can do-" she started to say, surprised when he gently rested a single finger against her lips.

"I told you, my only reward is seeing you so happy. Think of it as a gift from me to you, all right?" he whispered, bringing a flush to her face as she turned away from him. A smirk crossed his features, tucking his hands into his pockets as he slowly walked down the pathway to the road. "You have fun in town, all right? Enjoy your trip," he called out, meeting eyes with the boy. Another shudder of pleasure coursed down his spine at the very thought of the sort of game he was playing.

The boy shuddered as well, but for a much different reason; the man made him uncomfortable just looking at him. "I-I will, thank you," he answered politely, turning away from those prodding eyes that were trained so intensely on him. What in the world could his mother want with a man like that? His question remained unspoken and unanswered, watching the man walk away until his mother startled him from behind.

"Ready to go?" she asked, anticipating the eager nod that followed. "Let's be off then."

-----

Hakkai grumbled unintelligibly, taking another quick glance or two around for the umpteenth time that morning. Sanzo had insisted that the three of them continue in their search for Goku, even as Yaone continued her close inspection of the room. While things were still fuzzy, hopefully the pieces would begin to fall into place before they all went crazy with not knowing where Goku was. The blonde was growing more and more disagreeable, stretching the brunette's infamous patience to its near limit. If only they could find a lead…

The green-eyed man suddenly found himself violently jolted from his thoughts, the result from a collision with another body in the street. How could he have been so clumsy? "I am so sorry, please…I was not paying attention to where I was going," he offered softly, helping to pick up the scattered goods until a very familiar voice answered him.

"Don't worry about it, sir. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going either. I tend to get excited when we come to town," the voice explained sheepishly. Hakkai dared to look up at that, finding himself looking into the eyes of the very boy they were looking for.

"G-Goku? I-Is it really you?" he asked hesitantly, reaching out a shaking hand towards the boy's face. He was torn between the impulse to hug the boy breathless, or smack him for making them worry. But then again, there was something that wasn't quite right.

The boy cocked his head to the side, as though he didn't understand what he was saying. "Excuse me? Are you sure you're all right?" he murmured kindly, politely moving away when Hakkai's hand got too close.

Now Hakkai was sure that something definitely wasn't right. Not only was Goku speaking far too formally, his voice was quiet and entirely too demure. The monkey he knew was anything but formal and demure, added to the fact that the boy didn't seem to remember who he was. "Goku?" he tried again, his heart sinking when the boy shook his head.

"I think you have the wrong person, mister. My name's not Goku," he replied, and Hakkai anticipated his next words with a lump in his throat. "My name's Malachai. Malachai Ishimoto, nice to meet you." He held out his hand, but the older man didn't take it.

If there had been any color left in the brunette's face at that point, it was gone with the utterance of that single statement. "B-B-But…"

"Hey 'Kai, any luck yet?" another familiar voice called, the sound of nearing footsteps growing louder and louder until Hakkai couldn't help but train his eyes on two familiar pairs of shoes. "Holy shit…monkey, is that you? Where the fuck have you been? I swear to God I am going to rip you limb from limb-" Gojyo started to say, but soon his words died in his throat when he noticed that the kid was literally cowering away from him.

"P-Please don't hurt me, mister. I-I d-didn't mean to b-bump into your f-friend like that," the golden-eyed boy stuttered, covering his head with his arms. He was genuinely afraid of Gojyo. Of Gojyo hitting him. What was wrong with the damn monkey?

A plethora of emotions passed through Sanzo's expression before he could stop them, deciding then to put it all into one choice statement. "Stupid monkey," he said softly, softer then either of them had ever heard Sanzo sound in their entire time of knowing him.

Again, the boy cocked his head to the side, indicating that he still did not understand what was going on. "I'm not a monkey, Mr. Priest, sir. My name is Malachai," he intoned again, looking from one face to the next. Was he supposed to know these men? His mother had certainly never mentioned them before.

The air around them went from mildly tense to taut in a manner of seconds, not even Sanzo dared say anything to that. "That's not right…that's not right at all…" Hakkai murmured after a moment, shaking his head to clear it as he turned back toward the boy. "Your name is Goku. Son Goku. We are travelers heading to the West. My name is Cho Hakkai. I have a pet dragon named Hakuryuu that turns into a car," he added in desperation.

"And I'm the stupid kappa that you sit next to in the backseat. We bicker all the time, you're like my little brother. Sha Gojyo, the former-skirt chaser," the redhead commented, his expression betraying his calm tone. He looked just as frantic as Hakkai had sounded.

Sanzo didn't even say anything; he simply grabbed the monkey by the shoulders and forced their eyes to meet. "Who am I?" he asked simply, practically shaking with anger. He knew the boy wasn't clever enough for this to be a practical joke, so it was only logical that the woman had done something to him. "Who am I?"

The boy shrugged in response, chuckling. "I don't know, but you sure are funny guys. Dragons that turn into cars…that's so funny! Are you really a priest? You're a strange priest if you are," he answered, his laughter fading as those intense violet eyes continued to stare at him. Something about those eyes were so familiar that he found himself caught in them. His hand began to move of its own accord, stroking the other man's cheek before he could stop himself. "You're…the sun…?"

The corners of Sanzo's mouth twitched before he could stop it, noticing for the first time how foggy the golden eyes he loved so much were. Some of the fog dissipated as they continued to stare at one another "Yes…like the sun," he replied, drawing the boy closer and closer, until their lips almost touched…

"Malachai! What the devil do you think you're doing!" a voice screeched, causing the boy to jerk almost painfully out of Sanzo's grip. The woman suddenly appeared, grabbing him away and holding his body close to her own. "Didn't I tell you not to talk to strangers?"

The boy looked bewildered, looking from the woman to the three men and back again. "But, Mama…they…you don't know them?" he asked innocently, more than thoroughly confused. Twinges of memory began to flash through his head again, pounding against the inside of his skull as he tried to sort through them. He knew that he knew these three, especially the beautiful blonde, but he couldn't figure out how.

"Well, I know of them. These men are bad…didn't you see what he just tried to do? He tried to kiss you, in front of all of these people! Pervert! Hack! Lech!" she screamed, dragging the boy away as townspeople began to congregate and whisper to one another.

The crowd grew so thick that no matter how many people Sanzo and the others shoved out of the way, they couldn't see where the woman had run to. _Almost, I almost had him back, _Sanzo thought with a deep grimace, swearing on every god that he didn't believe in that he was going to rip that woman's throat out when he saw her again.

"Fuck! What the shit is going on? Did you see that! The monkey had no fucking clue who we were!" Gojyo yelled, slamming his fist into a nearby post. He swore louder when he felt warm blood slithering between his knuckles, but he didn't care; his anger dulled out the pain so that he didn't even feel it.

"If I didn't know him so well I would say that Goku was playing a joke on us. But…she's made him forget us…" Hakkai added sadly, immediately tending to his lover's hand. He dared not say anything more, sensing the darkness of Sanzo's mood and afraid that his rage could turn murderous.

"Almost. I almost had him. She's got to be drugging him or something. His eyes weren't his own…but for a split second, they were. If I get my hands on her…" Sanzo ground out, visibly shaking with fury. "She's convinced him that he's her dead kid. Somehow…"

Before things could get even worse, Hakkai spotted Yaone running down the street toward them, looking winded but ecstatic. "Sanzo! Hakkai! Gojyo! I have something important to tell you!" she said breathlessly, quickly noting the disparaging looks on their faces as her smile fell. "Goodness…what happened?"

"It doesn't matter. What did you find?" the blonde answered quickly, a well-placed glare keeping his companions silent. He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to soothe the rage that was still coursing through his veins. Feeling like killing something was not going to make the situation any better.

The woman looked slightly skeptical, but didn't comment. "Well, I found that an airborne sedative had been used to keep you all deeply asleep. That was how she managed to get Goku out of there without making a sound. Also…there was a drug in the meat buns as well. The results of what exactly it could be are not clear yet, but it should be soon," she explained, folding her arms behind her as she shifted her weight nervously.

"Wonderful. Perhaps it would be wise to head back to the inn to wait. I'm sure Kougaiji will be checking in shortly as well," Hakkai commented, straining to keep his usual smile on his face. It certainly was going to be a very rough wait, though he dared not say it out loud. He helped Gojyo to his feet, looking back towards Sanzo for an answer.

The crowd had dissipated by then, leaving the blonde able to look for any signs of where they had gone. No such luck. "Whatever. Let's go," he deadpanned after a moment, lighting a cigarette and starting to walk back toward then inn. Hakkai couldn't help but sigh at that, knowing exactly how the monk was feeling.

"This is going to be a hell of a night, 'Kai," Gojyo said, wrapping his arm around Hakkai's waist in a rare public display of affection. The brunette accepted it gratefully, throwing their usual discretion to the wind in lieu of comforting one another instead.

"It certainly will be, Gojyo. It certainly will be."


	9. 9

-----9-----

Hanna's heart was thumping wildly in her chest as she dragged the boy away, far away from the village and its current occupants. That had been entirely too close, noticing the way that the boy had been reacting to the priest and realizing just how close she had come to losing everything that she had worked so hard for.

"M-Mama…please…y-you're hurting m-me," the boy stammered, panic-stricken and even more bewildered than he was before. His head was throbbing so hard that he was amazed he could even stand, and her pulling him around so carelessly was certainly not helping.

"I'm sorry, baby. I was just scared. Those men are very bad men, Malachai. You are never, ever to go near them again, do you understand? Those men kill people and steal little children away from their parents to do awful things to them," she soothed as they stopped, caressing his cheek as she stared into his eyes. _Please, please let him not remember…make him forget, _she silently prayed, trying to calm herself as well.

Somehow, her words did not reach quite where she expected, as he didn't believe her. Naturally, he nodded obediently to please her, but the doubts that he had in the beginning were beginning to surface again. The green-eyed man didn't seem bad, and the redhead didn't look too dangerous. The priest, however…the mere thought of the man sent delicious chills up and down his back as he remembered that they almost kissed. "Of course, Mama," he replied after a moment, staring down at his feet to quell the sudden rush of blood to his cheeks. Those men were convinced they knew him, and they all seemed so very familiar.

"Good. How about we go home? I'm sure you're hungry," Hanna said softly, taking his hand and leading him back down the path to their house. The two fell into a companionable silence, with Malachai desperately trying to remember something, anything about those three men that he had met earlier. He dared not ask his mother how she would have known them, fearing the worst sort of reaction from the woman.

It wasn't long until they reached the little cottage, entering inside as Hanna began to make dinner once their shopping was put away. She waited until the boy had disappeared up the stairs before pulling out the now half-empty bottle that she kept in her apron pocket. Carefully measuring out twice as much as she had been putting into his portion, she dumped the pink liquid into the bowl of soup that she had ladled from the pot. She was careful not to pour in too much, not wanting him to forget everything, just what happened today. She stirred it quickly, studying the broth carefully to see if there were any traces left and letting out a pleased noise when she found none. "If this won't make you forget, nothing will," she murmured to herself, an ugly smirk twisting across her features.

"Did you say something, Mama?" a voice behind her asked, startling the dark expression from her face and surprising her to the point that she almost sent the soup flying. That would have not been good at all.

"Just talking to myself, sweetie. Now, why don't you sit down and eat like a good boy? It's miso soup with meat in it…just like you asked for," she said sweetly in reply, watching with twisted pleasure as the boy began to devour the soup with gusto. She hid her glee behind her spoon, careful not to let the boy see what was truly going on in her mind.

-----

"Kougaiji! When are we going back to visit baldie-head and the others?" Lirin asked impatiently, crossing her arms across her more than ample chest. She stared up at her older brother with a frown on her face, anxious to get out of the castle and get on with the promised battle.

The demon prince sighed, resting a hand atop her head in exasperation. So far they had been unable to find anything of any use, other than that Nii was taking several trips out of the castle of his own. "I don't know, Lirin. As soon as something comes up that we can use to help Goku, we'll go right over, okay?" he requested, smiling slightly at her as he ruffled her hair. She giggled, though her voice trailed off when the sound of approaching footsteps drew nearer and nearer.

"Good day, Your Highnesses. How are you this lovely afternoon?" the doctor asked, clutching his bunny doll underneath his arm as he tipped an imaginary hat in their direction. His usual smug smirk graced his mouth, even as his eyes danced with unknown glee.

"I would be much better if I didn't have to see you as often as I do," Kougaiji replied curtly, narrowing his eyes at the other man as he clutched his sister tightly to him. He hated this man enough as it was, but the mere thought that he meddled where he was most certainly _not _wanted made him even angrier. "What is it that you want?"

The other man shrugged nonchalantly, relighting his cigarette as he disregarded the redhead's tone completely. "Nothing in particular. Can't I inquire as to how my wonderful Lord is doing?" he asked rather sensually, causing both Kougaiji and Lirin to shudder. "And I cannot forget the darling princess. You seem to be in low spirits, Lady Lirin…care to tell the good doctor what's bothering you?"

Lirin clutched at Kougaiji's coat in an uncharacteristic show of bashfulness, though some of it could be contributed to the fact that this man scared her, even more so than her own mother. "There's nothing wrong with her that you could fix, Dr. Nii. I think it is time that you went on your way," the demon prince told him, his tone clearly indicating command.

"Of course, Your Highness. Happy trails," the man answered enigmatically, stuffing his hands in his pockets and trundling down the hallway toward his lab. The two of them watched him go before Kougaiji went to turn away, suddenly halted by his younger sibling tugging on his jacket.

"Do you think we should follow him? If we listen in on him and that creepy lady, maybe they'll say something about Goku!" Lirin exclaimed, her eyes widening to almost impossible diameters.

Kougaiji stared at her for a moment, gripping her by the shoulders after he considered her words. "Lirin, you're a genius! Let's go, and be sure to be quiet." He let go of her, taking her hand as they slowly and quietly made their way down the hall. They inched along the wall when they neared the door way of the lab, stopping just before the opening. The demon prince motioned to his sister to keep quiet, to which she silently nodded. Then, they waited.

-----

"So…did you continue collecting that data like I asked you to? This experiment is entirely too important to miss anything," Nii asked his assistant, swiveling around in his chair to face her as she reviewed her clipboard.

"Yes, I did. It would seem that she has been following your instruction to the T, until the incident with Sanzo and the others earlier today. It seems she doubled his dosage this evening. Why do you think she would do that?" Dr. Huang asked, staring intently at the doctor. She had become interested in this little experiment despite herself, wondering if this drug could be used as a suitable weapon to continue with the Gyumaoh experiment.

The doctor puffed his cigarette thoughtfully for a moment, before letting the smoke out in a steady stream. "It's simple, really. By doubling his dosage he will forget anything about seeing Sanzo and the others. He won't forget what she's told him so far, but will forget about encountering the priest today. So you see, in short she is erasing and reshaping his memory. She can attribute it to the fall she claimed that he took, saying that he had a momentary relapse," he explained methodically, watching in amusement as the woman furiously scribbled notes down onto her clipboard.

"Is this what you intended from the start? To separate the Sanzo party using this drug?" the assistant asked, cocking her head to the side as the man began to laugh rather uproariously as though she had said something funny. "What is so funny?" she asked after a moment, annoyed when he didn't answer her right away.

"Of course! Who do you think sent the demons to kill her husband and son? You truly do not understand the scope of things, do you? I suppose you wouldn't, after all. I had watched this woman and her behavior, giving me the chance to anticipate what she would do when presented with the situation. If there is one thing I am, my dear Huang, it is thorough with my experiments."

He turned to face the doorway, catching the faint sound of footsteps heading away. Another smug smirk crossed his features, prompting the woman to question him again. "What is it? Do you think someone heard what we were talking about?"

"But of course. However, this can only prove to be another interesting variable to an already interesting experiment. Let us sit back and enjoy the fireworks, shall we?"

_(A/N-Nine chapters and going strong, Whew! Amazing. Anyway, if anyone doesn't like the way I'm portraying Nii, I'm sorry. I truly believe that he is the villain behind all of the Saiyuki plotline, so this story will be no exception. In regards to his thumb in the pie, all I can say is COME ON! The man is a genius, fooling with concepts that he should have no idea about. He has to know what is going on with Sanzo and the others, as well as Kougaiji and Co. in regards to the blonde priest. Well, that's my theory anyway. Until next chapter!)_


	10. 10

-----10-----

"You know, this sitting room is starting to get awfully crowded," Gojyo grumbled, managing to grab a chair as the group assembled in the common room. The three members of the Sanzo party were utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. However, the prospect of Yaone's findings were sure to lighten the mood just a bit.

"Can it, you stupid kappa. There are more important things to worry about, so put that pathetic excuse for a brain to use for once," Sanzo sniped right back, obviously still seething over the afternoon's events. Gojyo wisely chose to say nothing in reply, letting out a soft sigh as they all turned their attention onto the youkai woman.

Yaone cleared her throat, flushing a bit under the strain of their combined stares. She wasn't at all used to being put on the spotlight like this. "Well, the good news is that I found traces of a rather strong sedative throughout your collective rooms. It was amazingly potent, and it's found naturally in wooded areas," she explained patiently, moving her gaze from one face to the next as she paused.

"So you are saying that it might be best to look for Goku in a more secluded area, correct?" Hakkai asked, wondering why in the world they hadn't thought of that in the first place. This Hanna woman was certainly turning out to be a more formidable foe than they had first anticipated.

The woman nodded once before continuing. "I would think. I have to say that this was a rather well thought out plan…the woman is either a genius or completely mad."

"Wait a minute…you said that was the good news…what's the bad news?" Gojyo asked curiously, cocking his head to the side. As the expression on the woman's face changed to that of mild disappointment, the crimson-haired man felt the pit of his stomach drop out. "We're not going to like this, are we?"

"No, I rather think not. While the sedative was rather easy to trace, the substance in the meat buns is proving to be more of challenge. It is like nothing I have ever seen, to be completely honest," she admitted, looking away when she noted the drop in the mood around her. She felt horrible about it, even though she knew there was nothing else she could do. "I'm sorry…perhaps if I'm given a little bit more time, I could figure it out, but I could not ask that of you."

Sanzo grunted audibly, scowling harder than usual. Every time it seemed that they were getting close to figuring out what happened to Goku, suddenly another road block appeared; it was beginning to really piss him off. "Well, it doesn't seem like we have much of a choice, now do we?"

"On the contrary…" a voice interrupted, startling all those present into looking at the familiar face in the doorway. Kougaiji strode in confidently, smirking just a bit when he noted the surprise on the faces of those around him.

"We found something out! That dumb ol' doctor let it slip that he was-" Lirin started to say excitedly, until her older brother's quick hand covered her mouth and reduced her words to mere mumbling.

"What Lirin is trying to say is that now we know what's going on. And trust me, you aren't going to like it," Kougaiji supplied for her, uncovering her mouth when he was finished speaking. A mild glare kept her quiet, even though Lirin's expression clearly stated that she was not happy about being shushed.

Gojyo waved his hand dismissively, tossing his head as he winked at the demon prince. "Go ahead and spill it, red. Can't be any worse than anything else we've heard all day," he said vaguely, earning himself a questioning look from the other redhead.

Hakkai shook his head in mild amusement, taking it upon himself to explain. "What Gojyo is trying to say is that it can't be any worse than meeting Goku today and letting him slip by us completely," he replied sadly, trying his best to smile at the others. An audible gasp from Yaone, to the shocked expressions that Kougaiji and Dokugakuji were wearing, to the slack-jawed stupor of Lirin's face was enough to annoy even the patient man enough to cause his former mood to dissipate.

"And before you go accusing us of anything, maybe we ought to note that the monkey had no fucking idea who we were," Gojyo added irritably, not much caring for the accusing stare from the demon prince that was trained on the three of them. "Not to mention that the lunatic lady decided to draw a crowd for a clean get away."

"Now, if you have something to say, then say it. This whole business has gone on entirely too fucking long," Sanzo said finally, training intense violet eyes on cool indigo as his expression demanded results. The priest was not as patient as his comrades, especially not with the sting of being forgotten by his charge nagging him in the back of his mind. Of course, he knew the monkey would never forget him on his own, which served to keep the priest's blood boiling.

Kougaiji sighed as well, deciding it was now or never. "We overheard a conversation between the doctor that works for my mother and his assistant. Basically, the doctor set this all up as an experiment for a new drug he was working on," he started to explain flatly, trying his best not to show his own emotions that threatened to betray him. They were supposed to be enemies, but this whole mess was beginning to make him think twice about that particular fact.

"And this drug would be?"

With another sigh, he continued as he braced himself for the worst. "It's a memory replacement drug. Apparently, Nii, the doctor, sent the demons to kill Hanna's husband and her son, knowing that this village was in your direct path to India. Knowing this, he used this as an opportunity to test it. Whether he was truly trying to defeat you using this or this was just another sick fancy of his, I don't know," Kougaiji finished, daring to look out into the faces of his listeners.

"So why didn't you just use this as a chance to get rid of us once and for all? This would have been the perfect chance," the blonde practically snarled, angrier now than he could ever remember being. Was this the demon prince's idea all along, and was this just another trap they had fallen into?

Sensing the violent shift in the priest's mood, as well as the dark looks coming from his companions, Kougaiji was quick to answer. "I can't answer that, but I can say this: none of us had anything to do with this, other than the services we are offering now. Trust me, I do not want this man meddling in our lives any more than he already has," he admitted honestly, because truthfully he could not give them a solid reason. He had already thought on the idea, but again it made him sick just thinking about it.

"I guess we can accept that…so what do we do now?" Gojyo asked, looking at the faces of all the other members of their combined party. It seemed that the stakes had just been upped that much higher, and the gambler in him saw this as a once in a lifetime chance.

Hakkai shrugged a bit, looking to Kougaiji as he asked, "Did he say anything about an antidote of sorts?"

The demon prince thought for a second, suddenly remembering the answer to the question. "No, but the assistant said something about dosages. I'm sure we can assume that if he is no longer administered the drug, the effects will wear off and he will regain his memory."

"That's good, I guess. So, Sanzo…what shall we do?" the green-eyed man asked softly, looking to the blonde for a final decision. He knew what he wanted to do, but with how unpredictable Sanzo's actions had been as of late, he was sure it would be best to let the priest decide.

"We're going out to look for Goku tomorrow. I don't care if we have to burn the whole fucking forest down, we're going to find him," he said determinedly, casting that intense violet gaze on the demon prince. "It's up to you whether you want to help or not. I don't care one way or another."

To the surprise of everyone except the priest, Kougaiji shook his head. "I think we've done enough. It's time for us to part ways until we meet again. Good luck in finding the monkey," was all he said, motioning for the members of his own group to follow him. Without giving the Sanzo party any time to answer, they soon disappeared from the room and were on their way.

"Well, I guess we'd better be off to bed. We should get an early start if we're going to comb through the entirety of the landscape," Hakkai suggested mildly, hiding his disappointment at their sudden departure behind his smile. The other two simply nodded, heading off into their respective rooms to wait for the coming morning.

-----

As Kougaiji and the others were flying off, a sudden thought occurred to Yaone as she clutched at the demon prince's waist. "Lord Kougaiji…if I may be so bold as to say…you really have no intention of fighting them for the scripture right away, do you?"

A small smirk rested on the prince's lips as he remained quiet, giving the others a chance to wonder exactly what the answer to that particular question could possibly be. Yaone briefly nodded, with Dokugakuji and Lirin each chuckling softly as they continued on back to the castle.


	11. 11

-----11-----

Again, Malachai woke to the bright sunlight that was streaming onto his bed from the window, turning towards it instead of away from it. So warm, the sun…wait a minute. He shot up straight in bed, finding his head foggy and unclear again. He could remember who he was and where he was, but he could not remember the day before to save his life. He tried desperately, unfortunately resulting in nothing but a headache.

"Mal, honey…are you awake? Breakfast is ready," his mother called cheerfully, and he could hear the sound of her approaching footsteps on the stairs. Soon, she peered in the doorway, still wearing that bright smile that she always wore. "How are you feeling this morning? You're certainly looking much better."

Now he was really confused. "I…what happened? Why does my head seem so foggy?" he asked, rubbing his forehead in hopes to quell the pain behind his eyes. There was something important that he should be remembering, he knew it. A face…a voice, he'd heard.

"Well, we were getting ready to go to town, and suddenly you fainted. Thankfully the doctor was here, so he took care of you. He said you had a fever, so he thought that maybe it was a relapse from the fall you took. It's been known to happen," she told him evenly, swiping her hand across his forehead.

"Are you sure? That doesn't sound right," Malachai answered, eyeing her a bit. His first instinct had been to flinch away from her touch, finding himself somewhat angry with his mother. Why should he be angry with her in the first place?

His mother's face darkened a bit, her smile falling into a near grimace. "Excuse me? You're going to argue with me? Sweetie, you can't even remember what happened," she challenged uncharacteristically, her expression twisting then into a smirk. Her words were anything but soft and gentle, giving the boy the chills just hearing them.

"Of course not, Mama. I'm sorry. I just still don't feel well. Maybe I should go back to sleep for a bit," he said shakily, playing up the act a bit by looking tired. In truth, he wasn't tired at all, but it would give him a chance to think about what was going on.

As if someone had thrown a switch, the woman's face was bright and sunny once again. "That's a good boy. I'll bring up your breakfast a bit later, okay? You just rest and feel better. Kuro's been wanting to play with you since yesterday," she replied, planting a delicate kiss on his forehead before leaving the room.

Malachai waited until her footsteps had faded into the distance before releasing a shudder, turning over in his bed to stare out the window. With a look of determination on his face, he decided that he was going to figure out what was going on once and for all.

------

It was quite a while later when Malachai emerged from his room, heading downstairs at the request of his rumbling stomach. He looked frustrated, no closer to any sort of answer than he had been when he woke up that morning. It was almost as if something was preventing him from remembering, like a roadblock.

"There you are. Do you feel better now?" his mother asked sweetly, placing a sandwich in front of him when he sat down at the table. She watched as he stared at the plate for a long moment, as if his mind truly was somewhere else. "Mal, honey…the sandwich isn't going anywhere. Why don't you eat it instead of glaring at it?"

He jumped at that, forcing a smile onto his face. "Sorry. Just really deep in thought, that's all," he explained, making a theatric of biting into the sandwich and enjoying it.

Hanna eyed him then, not sure that she liked what was going on here. "Oh? And what's got you so thoughtful? You usually tell me what's got you stumped so that we can work it out together," she pressed, masking the danger in her words with her usual soothing tone. She had a feeling that she knew where this was going, and she was going to put a stop to it immediately.

"Just about yesterday. I need to be more careful, don't I?" he quickly offered in reply, sensing the sudden danger of the situation. He hoped that his explanation would be enough to get her to calm down. Something wasn't right about his mother, that much he could see now.

"Perhaps you should. You wouldn't be lying to me, now would you?" she asked just as sweetly as before, her smile faltering just a bit.

Swallowing both the bite of sandwich and the lump in his throat, Malachai took a minute or two to answer. "Why would I lie to you?" His voice grew shaky once again, the mix of fear and frustration roiling around in his stomach like a sickness. It didn't even really sound that convincing to his own ears.

Time stopped after that, the harsh sound of her palm connecting with his face echoing like a death knoll in the now quiet room. "You think I don't know what's going on here? You thin think I don't know what's going through that empty little head of yours? I know more than you do, sweet little-" she started to snarl at him, realizing what she had almost said in her fury. After another moment, a wave of shock poured onto her face when it dawned on her that she had actually slapped him. Just like the last time she lost him. "Malachai…honey…Mommy's sorry…please, please don't leave me again. I'm such a bad Mommy, aren't I?" she murmured ashamedly, collapsing to her knees on the floor as she cradled her face in her hands.

The boy truly didn't know what to do. He could feel the sting of his cheek as he held it in his hand, as well as the faint trickle of blood on his lip from where he bit it. A swell of instinct had told him to hit her back, but the sight before him was just too pitying. "Mama, it's okay…I know you didn't mean it…I'm sorry too, for being so much trouble," he answered soothingly, trying to stop her ranting.

Hanna looked up at him with her tear-stained face, her eyes wild with a troubled mix of emotions. "No, you're such a good boy. Mommy's the bad one…I'm always the bad one," she continued to mumble, her eyes going dull and unseeing as she seemed to go off to another place. She clutched at the boy, crying softly into his shoulder.

"Mama…how about you go to bed now? Maybe you need a nap?" he asked, watching as she nodded. She was limp in his arms, making it difficult to carry her to the couch. Once he had her laying there, still trembling and crying softly, he decided that he needed to get as far away from her as possible, at least for a little while. "I'm going to go play with Kuro now…how about you come outside when you feel better?"

The woman nodded faintly, turning away from him as she rolled over on the couch and continued her mumbling. Her voice and tears and stilled to a dull quiet, barely decipherable.

Malachai sighed, getting to his feet and heading out the door before she could stop him. A dull pain throbbed in his cheek, and he knew that his lip was going to swell by how tender it was when he touched it. Sitting down on the front porch, he petted the dog's head as it rested in his lap. "What am I going to do now, Kuro? What am I going to do now?"


	12. 12

-----12-----

Sanzo had just about had it with the dense forest that surrounded them, following closely behind the redhead who was hacking and slashing a path through the overgrowth. "This is getting fucking ridiculous," he griped, lighting his fourth cigarette in the past half hour.

"I quite agree. Even the forest on the way to Kami-sama's palace wasn't nearly as dense as this," Hakkai added patiently, doing his best to aid his companion in making a way through the trees. What made the situation worse was that they had only been given a general direction, and there had been no sign of…well, anything, other than trees and brush.

Gojyo continued forging a path for them, grunting with exertion as sweat poured down his face. "This place has got to be around here somewhere. This is where the bitch ran off to with Goku," he grit out, flopping onto the ground when they reached a small clearing. The other two seated themselves as well, taking advantage of the chance for a small break before Sanzo's impatience forced them onward. The kappa lit a cigarette of his own, inhaling deeply as though it were going to be his very last breath. "So…" he began after a while of contemplative silence. "What do you guys think of what Kougaiji told us?"

Hakkai took his own moment to answer, releasing a long sigh at the very thought. "It means that the stakes are only getting higher the closer we are getting to India. Goku is the most impressionable of us all, I think. He's innocent still, no matter what happens to him and how many horrors we face. Perhaps it is a lesson to us," he mused speaking more to himself towards the latter part of his statement. He hadn't meant to be so thought-provoking.

"Whatever. I don't give a shit about what this means, or what this whack-job is trying to tell us. This doctor apparently is the one behind the experiments, so we actually got something out this whole fucking mess," Sanzo remarked, noticing the smirks on the faces of his companions. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Oh, nothing, Sanzo. Just thinking to myself that it may not be just that information that we got out of this ordeal," Hakkai commented rather vaguely, his eyes sparkling with mischievous knowledge. His lover nodded in agreement, shoulders shaking in a silent giggle.

It took Sanzo a few minutes to realize what he was talking about, his cheeks reddening before he could even think of stopping it. Soon, he had his swell of emotions under control, offering his best glare at the other two. "I have no idea what you are talking about," he murmured, unconvincing to even his own ears. His stomach flip-flopped at the memory of he and Goku's almost kiss, realizing that it was rather useless to lie about it anymore. "If either of you say anything, anything at all…I will kill you and leave your corpses to rot in this god-forsaken forest, you understand?"

The two companions shared conspiratorial smiles, deciding it best to drop the subject for the time being. "Well, what do you think we should do?" Gojyo asked, stubbing out his cigarette on the tree root behind him.

He didn't receive an answer, the sound of leaves crunching and branches rustling catching their attention. All of them tensed, preparing for a coming battle, climaxing when a figure appeared through the brush. However, the demons that they were expecting turned out to be a cloaked figure hobbling lamely across the ground. "Oh goodness…you startled me," the figure said, bowing politely to the three of them when it had startled suddenly. The voice was hoarse, clearly aged and musty from disuse.

"We weren't expecting anyone else to be in a place like this, so allow us to apologize as well," Hakkai offered cordially, bowing as well and keeping himself from rolling his eyes when his companions did not follow suit.

The figure straightened a bit, the hood of the cloak falling back to reveal a rather wizened face that belonged to an old man. "No need, my boy. Tell me, what are such fine looking gentlemen like yourselves doing in a place like this? Are you lost?" the man asked kindly, leaning on a knobby-walking stick.

At first, not a single one of them knew what to say, dumbfounded by the compliment. It had certainly been a while since they had been referred to as "gentlemen". Finally, Hakkai cleared his throat and took it upon himself to answer. "Actually, yes, silly as it sounds. We're looking for a…friend's house. Her name is Hanna Ishimoto…we came to visit her and her son," he lied easily, trying to hide the tinge of guilt he felt behind his usual warm smile.

The old man scratched his stubbly chin, as though thinking deeply about the inquiry. "Ah yes…the little cottage down the way. Strange place for a house, if you ask me. The lady of the house is always so nice to me, though," the old man replied with a chuckle, not noticing the looks of disbelief that passed between the three before him.

"So, where exactly is this place? Down the way isn't the most descriptive of directions, mister," Gojyo asked, looking at the man a bit warily. Something was a tad bit off about him, getting the same feeling that he had the afternoon before Goku had disappeared.

The man blinked for a second, before breaking down into cackling laughter. "You are a fiery one, aren't you? Does this old man's heart good to know there are still firecrackers like you wandering around. If you keep heading that direction, you'll come to a path. The road leads deeper into the forest, and that's where you'll find Hanna's house. Mostly likely you'll see her son playing in the yard. Good kid that one," the man replied, wiping a tear from his eye. Gojyo said nothing in reply to such a strange statement, settling on cocking his eyebrow and leaving it alone.

"Thank you, old man," Sanzo replied gruffly in an unusual show of some likeness of manners, dipping his head in a semblance of a nod before motioning for the others to do the same. The other two bowed as well, hurrying after the determined blonde.

-----

Dr. Huang was not happy. Not only had the doctor gone off on another unscheduled "field trip", it looked as though the newest experiment was at a stand-still. No progress had been made on the part of the Sanzo party, bringing a deep frown to her face.

"Still toiling away at that data, Dr. Huang? My, how do you find the time to do anything other than work?" a familiar breathy voice asked coolly, emphasized by the sound of something solid hitting the floor.

"And where exactly do you find the time to work? All you do these days is leave the lab," she retorted crossly, ignoring the posed question and getting up to examine the pack that he had thrown so carelessly aside. Without bothering to ask, she rifled through the bag, bewildered when she came across a burlap cloak stuffed in the bottom amongst other random items. "What in the world is this?"

Nii simply smiled in that pristine way of his, eyes glinting ominously as he turned to face the computer screen. He watched in amusement at the three familiar figures reflected back at him, disregarding her question entirely. "My pleasure, Genjyo Sanzo. I would so hate to see this little farce end anticlimactically. Please make this as interesting as you can."

_(A/N: -eerie music plays in background- Oh no! Well, sorry if this part was rather short. College's seriously cutting into my writing time, but alas! Hopefully things will continue to run smoothly for me, eh? Until next time!)_


	13. 13

-----13-----

The silence that permeated through Hanna's mind was like a sickness, making her almost hyper-aware of her surroundings. It reminded her strongly, too strongly in her opinion, of the day when this whole mess had started. She could easily remember the eerie quiet that had descended on their once pleasant house when they had left.

"Why did you take him from me? He was my child…my baby…" she murmured sluggishly to herself, still clutching her body as fine trembles coursed up and down her spine. Her thoughts drifted, remembering the incident as clear as day.

_"Malachai! I said that you are not to go to the village without me! How many times do I have to tell you that?" Hanna demanded, frowning deeply at her son. Too many perverts, too many evil people that would take her precious child from her made her wary of letting him outside without her to protect him._

_The boy looked rather sheepish, scuffing his bare feet against the floorboards as he refused to look at his mother. "But…Mama…I went out to buy you a gift. I wanted to let you know that I was thinking abut you," he responded innocently, looking up at her with those impossibly innocent eyes. She thought about letting it go with a gentle scolding, until his next words hit her ears. "Daddy said it was all right…"_

_That sent the normally calm woman into a fit of rage. How dare her husband go behind her back like that, undermining the authority she had as his mother? Before she could stop herself, she reared back and slapped the boy across the cheek, sending him to the floor with the force of the blow. "As if this isn't the first time your father has done something like this to me. Don't you see? He's using you to spite me! I thought you loved me!" she practically screamed at him, watching in morbid satisfaction as he scooted quickly back against the wall to get away from her. Now maybe he would learn not to disobey her anymore. _

_"B-But…M-Mama…I-I…" he stammered hurriedly, his hand resting on his bruising cheek as a trickle of blood peeked out the corner of his mouth. He didn't bother wiping it away, for fear that it would bring about another violent reaction. This was not the first time his mother had raged at him for something so simple, having learned a long time ago that it was useless to try and protest._

_Hanna barked out a laugh, preparing to land another blow on that seemingly innocent face, until a firm grip on her wrist stopped her. "That's enough, Hanna. You've gone too far this time," a gruff voice behind her stated calmly, though the molten edge of anger and disappointment lay just beneath the surface._

_"You! This is all your fault! It's all your fault that he's turning into a disobedient brat!" she raged at her husband, ripping her wrist out of his grip and giving him a blow of his own. Her nails raked across his face, drawing blood. _

_Again, he calmly grabbed her, subduing her from hitting him anymore. "He's no such thing and you know it. He's a good boy. You're the one who's out of control," he whispered, hurt radiating from him as he turned to his son. "Malachai…go pack a couple of things. We're leaving." The boy's golden eyes widened, nodding only once before scampering off to do as he was told. His father had mentioned that he was thinking about leaving, but apparently this incident had been the last straw. Her moods had become increasingly violent as of late, and he was more than happy to get away for a while. _

_"You can't take him! He's my baby! My child! Not yours!" Hanna screamed on, desperately trying to lash out at her husband in retaliation. Her own eyes were wild, and Kenzo felt a trickle of fear move down his spine. This was not the woman he loved; she had become a monster, and he needed to protect his son. _

_Malachai returned moments later with a modest bag slung over his shoulder, anxiety written all over his face. He didn't have to say anything as his father nodded sharply and released his mother, his voice practically a command. "You're out of control. I have to take Mal away from here to protect him. Until you stop this madness, you won't see him anymore."_

_Hanna's blood ran cold at that, quickly reheated with renewed anger at this outrage. How dare he! "Just try it. Just try and see how far you get," she threatened, her face contorting into that usual sweet smile that she always wore when speaking to her precious child. "Malachai…you don't really want to leave your mommy, do you? Only bad children abandon their mommies when they need them the most," she cooed, attempting to stretch out her hand despite the man's hold on it._

_The boy looked lost for a second, looking from one of his parents to the next as though truly debating what to do. However, with renewed confidence when he looked to his father, the boy said clearly, "I don't want to leave you, but you can't keep hurting me and Daddy. We have to go away until you can stop hurting us."_

_That was certainly not what she was expecting to hear. "You've poisoned his mind, you bastard! It's all your fault!" she screamed, lunging for her husband once more before he easily tossed her aside. Grabbing Malachai's hand, they ran for the front door and were gone, just like that._

_By the time Hanna regained her senses from the bump on her head, the little carriage was gone. She had no hope of chasing it down, falling into an almost welcome numbness as she stared at the partially open door. "Kenzo…I hope you rot in Hell," she murmured under her breath, still unable to fathom that they were gone._

Three months passed, before she received word that her bastard of a husband and her precious Malachai had been killed in a demon attack not too far away from the next village over. Naturally, she had refused to believe it, convincing herself that her darling child was wandering around and looking for her. How fortunate she had been to find that boy and the doctor, shaping him into being the child that she had lost. It didn't matter what she would have to do, even if she had to erase his memory every single day, in order to keep the boy as her own. She would not lose her child again

Now that the priest was looking for the boy, she knew that she had to get rid of him. After all, who would miss that Sanzo and his demon companions? No one. She just had to decide how to do it, yes. How would she kill the man intent on ruining her life a second time? "Just like Kenzo," she muttered, that familiar dark mood overtaking her once again. Maybe Sanzo was Kenzo in disguise, acting against her like he always had. Yes, that had to be it. A cruel, calculating smile crossed her face, banishing after a moment in favor of her sweet smile, getting up to go and find Malachai. First, she would set things right with the boy, perhaps use him to lure Kenzo out of hiding so she could destroy him. Yes…that sounded like a sound plan indeed.


	14. 14

-----14-----

The three remaining party members managed to find the path without too much trouble, with Sanzo still trundling onward with the determination of a grizzly bear. It was almost too much for his two companions to keep up.

"Slow down, will ya? We're going to get there when we get there," Gojyo wheezed, barely managing to match the priest's stride. Hakkai was having a time at it as well, though he wasn't as obviously tired as his red-haired lover.

Sanzo chose not to answer with words, instead whirling around for the briefest second to cast a very angry glare in their directions. The look clearly indicated that there was to be no argument, blatantly telling the two of them to quit whining and walk. "If you would shut your face for more than five seconds, maybe you could actually keep up," he said finally, increasing his pace just to spite them.

"I'm going to kill that damned monk. BAM! Right in the forehead," the redhead grumbled, staying close behind despite his anger. He wanted to find the monkey just as much as the other two, but what sense did it make to tire themselves out before they got there? It was likely that the Hanna woman would cause a ruckus, and if they were winded it was going to make this that much harder.

Hakkai audibly sighed, his own nerves fraying from the strain of the situation. "No you won't. You know just as well as I do that this is the way that he behaves when he's anxious or worried," he replied, forcing his voice to stay even in effort to calm his companion. Gojyo didn't look too convinced, but decided to wisely drop the issue for the time being.

The three of them fell into a somewhat companionable silence, all animosity forgotten in the face of the house that appeared in the distance. Sanzo caught sight of it first, breaking into a run in desperation to reach it as soon as possible. It wasn't until a moment or two later that the others noticed their destination so close and followed in their quasi-leader's footsteps. As the house grew closer, the three of them could each make out a pinprick of a person sitting on what appeared to be a porch.

"Goku! It's us, Gok-" Gojyo started to call out, taken aback when the priest turned around and slammed his hand over his mouth. He glared for a moment, quickly wrenching out of Sanzo's grip as he asked in a much quieter voice, "What the hell was that for?"

"Because, you moron, if Goku's there, then we can assume that the crazy bitch is there too. We need to be as quiet as possible," Sanzo snapped back, glancing and finding that it seemed they had been just out of hearing range for the boy. Good. He had to keep in mind that his charge most likely had no idea who they were for the time being, and the last thing they needed was a spooked monkey.

Hakkai knew this as well, looking to the red-haired kappa with a bit more patience than the priest had showed. "Besides, Gojyo…Goku will most likely not remember who we are. If we barrel in without thinking, we may involuntarily chase him away," he explained softly, turning a serious expression towards the blonde. "What do you propose we do?"

The blonde grunted, lighting a much needed cigarette and taking a deep drag before even glancing at the other man who was still staring rather intently at him. "I haven't a fucking clue. Whatever happens, happens." The other two nodded in agreement with this rather surprisingly sound advice. Then, they did just that, making their way towards the house with the perfect façade of calm on each of their faces. It wouldn't do for the oblivious boy to see their looks of anger and frustration.

-----

Malachai felt the presence of the men making their way towards his house before he saw them, jerking his head up to look at them. He waited to hear Kuro growl, but was mildly surprised to find that the dog sat rather quietly at his feet, watching the approaching men. As they drew nearer, a dull ache began to thump behind his eyes, as though his brain were pushing for something. Their faces…he had seen their faces somewhere before. Getting up from the swing, he started to walk out to greet them. "Hello there…can I help you?" he asked politely, or at least with some semblance of manners.

Not a single one of them answered his question, making him uncomfortable with their knowing glances as they studied him. He had definitely seen them before, but where? "You most certainly can, Malachai, isn't it?" one of them asked politely, his emerald eyes friendly and…a little bit scary. He remembered the twinge of memory when he had first woken up and couldn't remember, seeing the same color flash before his eyes when his mother had touched him.

"How do you know who I am?" the golden-eyed boy asked warily in turn, though the undercurrent of confusion lay just beneath the surface of his words. Their very aura seemed to befuddle him all over again, as if something was interfering with his already cloudy perception. These faces, those eyes…that voice. He stepped closer towards them, feeling an entirely different pressure in the back of his mind that had not been there days before. Straining, he could almost hear a voice pulling back there, demanding attention.

The redhead smiled cockily, slinging a rather ominous looking weapon over his shoulders as he winked at the boy. "We never forget a monkey," he replied easily, that singular word jolting Malachai upright.

"Don't call me a monkey!" he sniped back angrily, hands flying to cover his mouth when he realized what had just left it. That nickname raised a swell of anger in his veins that he couldn't really understand, feeling justified when the other three seemed just as surprised with his reaction.

The blonde, the only one who hadn't spoken as of yet, turned to look at him with cool violet eyes that made him shiver when he found himself caught in them. "Who am I?" he asked simply, and the boy immediately recognized the voice as the pull in the back of his head.

"I…don't know…but…" the boy replied unsurely, stepping forward before stopping to think about it. These men, especially this one, were familiar to him. The names he couldn't recall, but their very presence was one that he knew better than even his own.

The priest smirked for a moment, as if reading the boy's very thoughts. He strode toward the boy purposefully, until their bodies were nearly touching. The man reached out and took the boy's chin in his hand, tilting it until their breaths mingled. "I'll tell you who I am, you damned brat. I'm the Sun, remember?" he murmured, pressing their lips together and wrapping his other arm around the smaller body to hold it more tightly to his own.

Suddenly, the boy was assaulted by a rush of images that made hardly any sense, until his mind was bathed in a buttery-yellow light and he knew. He didn't need to remember these three to know that he belonged with them, especially the one that held him so firmly in his arms.

_Sanzo…you're Sanzo. My sun, my savior, my…everything,_ his mind called out, as the kiss grew deeper and more passionate. Tears began to flood down tanned cheeks unchecked, ignored in favor of the kiss.

_Damned right, you stupid monkey. Don't you forget it. You're mine, no matter what, you fucking brat, _Sanzo answered back, with just as much endearment as the boy could expect. Finally, the need for air broke the kiss, though the two stayed attached to the other.

"Ewww…that had to be the grossest thing I think I have ever seen. A monk and a monkey kissing is just too weird," Gojyo commented, smirking when he saw the boy's deep frown and felt the shot fly past his ear in warning. Once glance at the boy's eyes showed that they were a bit more self-aware, but the depths still remained cloudy.

Hakkai just chuckled, slightly embarrassed at having witnessed such a tender show of affection between his companions. He wasn't entirely prudish by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a private moment, after all. "Well, no matter. Welcome back, Goku. We missed you," he said softly, entwining his fingers in the baby-soft brown locks as a show of an almost fatherly gesture.

"Yeah, it was too quiet without your damn whining!" Gojyo added playfully, pulling his pseudo-little brother into a fierce headlock and looking very satisfied when the boy struggled against the hold.

A rush of warmth flooded over Mal-no, Goku, at that moment, bringing a bright smile to his face. He winced a bit when the action stretched the bruised skin of his face more than he intended, looking slightly flush when he noticed the intense stares trained on him.

"Goku…did someone hit you?" the green-eyed man asked calmly, though the undercurrent of anger lurking just beneath the surface of such an innocent question. At first, Goku (he supposed that was his real name…he might as well get used to it) didn't know what to say in response to that, finally settling on staring at his feet.

"Mama…well…I guess she's not really my mama…she hit me," he mumbled, almost tangibly able to feel the shock on each of the expressions trained on him. It was enough to make him start squirming where he stood.

"That fucking bitch…why didn't you defend yourself? You could've-" Gojyo started to say, stopping when a thought hit him. Goku still thought that she was his mother, and he knew exactly how the boy must have felt then. He knew because he had stood in the same place many, many times, letting the blows fall when he knew he was more than capable of defending himself against them.

Sanzo and Hakkai traded a knowing look, each of them only nodding once in the kappa's direction before the priest turned back towards his charge. "Doesn't matter. We'll pay her back for that," he muttered gruffly, offering a smirk that looked almost dangerously close to a smile. The boy blushed in pleasure, nodding before latching back onto the blonde and nuzzling his face into his chest. The blonde was duly surprised by the action, flushing a little himself as he awkwardly returned the embrace, all while shooting a clear "don't-either-of-you-say-a-word" glare in the direction of the other two.

As wonderful as the little reunion had been, it was at that moment that Hanna decided to walk outside with the clear intent of patching things up with her son, a mix of rage and shock flooding onto her face as she took in what she was seeing. "Malachai! Get away from them now!" she screamed furiously, balling her hands into tight fists.

Goku flinched when he heard her scream at him, more so at the name then anything else. He knew instinctively that as long as these three were nearby, he would be safe. "No…I don't belong with you…y-you keep hurting me. They won't hurt me," he answered as evenly as he could, keeping his tight hold on the blonde priest, who couldn't help looking just a teensy bit smug at the prospect. His formerly bruised pride at being forgotten was assuaged by the look of shock on her face, and he couldn't help but smirk even more.

"That's right lady…we figured out your little plans, and now you're going to pay for stealing the monkey," Gojyo called out arrogantly, resummoning his staff and pointing it in her direction. God, that had felt good.

The shock from the woman's features slowly faded, leaving only the raging anger that she felt. These men were going to die, just as Kenzo had. Her eyes narrowed to almost snake-like slits as she pulled out the simple white box that the doctor had given her. "No…I don't think so. You're not going to take him from me again, Kenzo," she snarled, ripping it open and noticing the little vial of orange liquid. Immediately, she opened it and drank deeply, falling to her knees as her body began to glow.

The four of them watched as she was bathed in a strange yellow light, hearing the rather sickening sounds of bones and muscle rearranging echoing through the air. "Well, shit," Gojyo said after a moment, and the others couldn't help but agree whole-heartedly with him.

_(A/N: CLIFFHANGER! Ah well. I couldn't help myself. Guess you'll have to wait until next chapter to read what happens. -evil laughter-Hope you enjoyed!)_


	15. 15

-----15-----

A deafening roar filled the air, the light slashed through by massive claws that shouldn't have existed on _anything, _much less a former human woman. The gnarled features were twisted in rage, letting out another inhuman howl to punctuate the emotion. Goku started, morbidly in awe of how unrecognizable the woman he had spent some time with had become.

"You will know my pain, Kenzo. You will know the anguish that you have caused me," the creature rumbled loudly, immediately turning on the blonde priest, barely missing the man by mere inches. Shoving Goku away and rolling to the left had been what saved his life.

"There you go with the names again. What is it with you?" Gojyo taunted, swinging his shakujo with deadly precision. She dodged, just barely, getting only a nick in the shoulder from the blade. The redhead frowned at that, jumping when a retaliatory blow came in his direction.

Hakkai appeared from the side and put up a shield, grunting with exertion. "Everyone, get under! And you, Gojyo…please do not taunt the insane and murderous anomaly we find ourselves up against. It's just tacky," he teased, trying to make light in such a dire situation. However, the incessant onslaught of blows against his ki was beginning to take its toll already, sinking to his knees with another grunt.

"Lower it on the count of three…when he does, you all jump away. Goku…I want you to stay out of sight. With your memories repressed, you may not be able to fight as well," Sanzo commanded, ignoring the surprise radiating from his other two companions. He was relieved that Goku merely nodded in turn, signaling Hakkai to get ready. "One, two…three!"

The four of them rolled safely out of the way as soon as the shield slammed down, angering the creature even further. She didn't appear pleased when her blows had proved fruitless, turning and striking out at the first warm body she came in contact with. Hakkai was thrown hard against a tree, knocking the wind out of him and sending a spray of blood shooting from his mouth. "She's…quite strong…isn't she?" he rasped out, clutching his side as he tried to stand.

Gojyo growled, whirling his blade around ferociously and smirking when he got the creature across the chest this time. However, all it did was catch her attention, barely getting the words, "Oh fuck," out of his mouth before being thrown heavily into Sanzo, who had been charging forward with his gun cocked. The two fell the ground gulping for air and desperately trying to disentangle themselves from the ungraceful heap they had fallen in.

"Enough of this," Sanzo spat, clasping his hands together and beginning to chant the familiar words of the sacred spell to activate the sutra. The holy relic came to life as it always did, shooting out and twining around the creature's wrists to hold her steady. The priest smirked smugly to himself, until the sound of paper ripping accompanied the pained howl that spilled from the grotesque lips. He watched in horror as the scripture tendrils fell limp, practically slithering back to his shoulders like a wounded animal. "Fucking hell," he griped, eyes widening when a heavy fist slammed into his gut. He hadn't even seen her coming, and he knew from the searing pain that she had damaged something.

Goku could only watch helplessly as his…friends, and his Sun, were attacked so ruthlessly. Ki blasts bounced off this way and that, Gojyo's blade being defected, and as the monk collapsed to the ground with bright red blood spilling from his mouth. An idea began to form in his head, even as he remembered the monk's warning, but…he couldn't very well let her kill them right in front of him. Stepping from his hiding spot in the undergrowth, he walked dutifully towards the enraged beast and called out, "Mama, please stop this. You don't really want to hurt them, do you? My Mama wouldn't do that," he tried, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

The creature paused in her strangulation of the green-eyed man, who cast a look mixed with relief and panic in his direction. "Goku, no!" he called out, again finding himself thrown heavily against another tree. This time, he did not get back up.

Goku swallowed hard, turning to look the beast in the eyes. They weren't the eyes he had grown accustomed to seeing, but instead the dark eyes of something that was too far gone. Only then, did he realize the mistake that he had made; that she could not be saved. He turned to run away, letting out a pained cry when heavy claws raked across his back like he were the paper of scripture. He fell to his knees, tears squeezing themselves from his eyes until a blow to the jaw sent him flying in the other direction.

"Hey, ugly! Over here!" Gojyo called out, leaning heavily on his staff and shifting weight from the leg that he was sure was broken. It may not have been the smartest of ideas, but he had to deflect her attention from the hapless boy. He grit his teeth together as he readied himself, swinging the chain around and praying that he wouldn't miss.

Unfortunately, the gods were not with him this day, as she sidestepped the shot and rammed her claws into his shoulder. He bit back a scream, feeling the muscles tearing as she dragged down his arm to his elbow. She was unnaturally fast, even for a youkai, which could only mean one thing. "What…a-are y-you?" he rasped, her twisted grin the last thing he saw before he was swallowed by unconsciousness.

Sanzo had struggled to his feet, aiming his gun directly at her and firing. The bullet lodged itself in the flesh of her back, but she didn't disappear like he had expected. "Fuck." A manufactured creation that was stronger and faster than any other foe they had ever faced, even more so than the stubborn god and the perversion that was Kami-sama. There was no way they could beat her.

Well, maybe one way, but…as much as he hated to say it, they had no other option left. "Goku! Take off your limiter!" Sanzo called, wincing at hearing himself have to ask such a question.

"N-no! I can't!" the boy replied, feeling the churning of his gut at the mere idea of it. Instinct told him no, that it was a bad idea, even though he didn't know the reason why. However, the desperate look that the priest gave him made him hesitate in his argument.

Especially at Sanzo's next words. "Goku, I swear to you that I won't let anything happen. We can't do this, and you can't remember how to fight. That fucking drug has you repressed, and there's only one way that I can think of to get your memories back," the priest explained evenly, silently thanking Gojyo for his distraction, however stupid it may have been. He moved to where the boy was, lifting his chin so that their eyes met. "You have my word that I won't fail you."

Goku swallowed again, nodding once before pressing their bodies insistently together. He drew strength from the slight embrace he was offered in turn, pulling back and setting his mouth into a determined line. He trusted this man, even if his memories didn't permit him to know why. He stood then, breathing heavily as he called, "Hey you!"

The creature turned towards him with a malicious smirk, almost making Goku flinch in its intensity. Letting out another heavy breath, Goku quickly reached up and willingly, for the first time in a long, long while, pulled the golden coronet from his forehead.

Sanzo watched with morbid curiosity at the sight before him, never having the pleasure of watching his charge transform into the heretical being. He winced at the pained sounds Goku released, as well as the unnatural glow that formed from that overwhelming power flowing out from the dam that kept it so well restricted. It flowed over him in a suffocating mass, but this time, it was different. Just subtly so, but enough for the monk to sense it.

Moments later, the glow dimmed and there stood Seiten Taisei, in all of his heretical glory, poised and clearly ready for a fight.

"Wow," the priest breathed, bone-chilling fear that he would never admit to feeling flooding him when those slit eyes turned in his direction, until the demon…smiled at him. Perhaps Seiten Taisei didn't remember their previous encounters because of the drug, forgetting whatever it was that made the god-like creature so angry with them before.

He turned then towards his adversary, carefully studying the unnatural demon with his enflamed golden eyes and ridiculous ki. The two began circling one another like true hunters, solely focused on each other instead of the three.

"Sanzo…what's going on?" Hakkai asked, dragging a very groggy-looking kappa to where the priest had been sitting and depositing him as gently as possible on the ground. The healer looked out, eyes widening when he realized who was fighting the creature now. "Sanzo? Are you sure about this?"

"Holy fuck, monk. You willingly let Captain Insane-o out? What the fuck are we going to do if he turns on us?" Gojyo complained, swooning when his head jarred too much and falling back into Hakkai's waiting arms.

Sanzo stayed strangely quiet, as though entranced by the two looming figures continuing their deadly dance. "He smiled at me. Whatever that drug was, it's effecting Seiten Taisei as well," he answered simply after a moment, his voice filled with confidence and a strange show of emotion. "It'll be all right."

Hakkai sighed resignedly, wrapping his arms tighter around the figure he was still holding and setting to mending the wounds that they had sustained as best he could. Gojyo, however, had to have the last word. "Well, too bad we don't have any popcorn…because this is going to be a hell of a show."


	16. 16

-----16-----

Seiten Taisei circled his enemy carefully, resembling a wild animal toying with its prey before it kills it. His mind was telling him to kill, destroy, but something else was nagging there. He easily recognized the three creatures that he had fought before, but whatever it was fogging his mind told him that they weren't what he needed to destroy. Instead, it told him that he needed to protect them, especially the blonde that resembled the one that was so dear to him those many years ago. His mind saw the faces of his friends, his Sun, and transposed those images over the faces of his other self's memories. And with that in mind, he knew he had to kill this creature.

With a grin bordering on insane, he lunged at the manufactured youkai before him, clearly startling the creature into dropping her guard. He roared triumphantly when his claws sank into her discolored flesh, ripping upward and delighting in the feeling of muscle separating from bone. It mimicked how she had torn through Kenren's arm, deciding that he would pay her back for every blow she had landed on them.

The creature was wholly stunned by the ferocity this little beast was showing, struggling against the almost tangible feel of his energy washing over her. She clutched her rapidly bleeding arm to her body, taking a step back from the fight. "Malachai? What are you doing?" she asked in her gravelly voice, shocked when there was no recognition flashing behind those impossibly golden eyes. Fear overtook her, and she knew that she was not going to make it out of this fight alive.

The heretic howled again, jumping on her so quickly that she hadn't even been able to track him. Suddenly, clawed hands were wrapped tightly around her throat, resembling the treatment she had given Tenpou only moments ago. She felt her air supply begin cut off, flailing around like a fish out of water. She was the prey now, and Seiten Taisei always did love toying with his prey. "Mal…please…" she rasped, feeling one hand leaving her throat as the other reflexively tightened to make up for it. Needle-sharp claws dug deeper into her skin, warmth sliding down her skin as she continued to struggle.

"Not…Mal…" the heretic rasped out, in a voice that clearly hadn't been used in centuries, if at all before that. His smirk widened into a deadly grin, pulling her body closer to his own to whisper in her ear. "Hurt…Konzen…kill…you," he growled, shoving his hand completely through her chest in a messy spray of blood and thicker things. The sickening crack of bones echoed in the sudden stillness, as though everything was moving in slow motion. Her shocked expression grew slack, her struggling ceased in the face of death as he threw her unceremoniously to the ground.

It was then that the world sped up again and he turned then to the others, grinning wildly as he began to make his way towards them.

-----

The three had watched the grisly show despite themselves, all of them looking decidedly ill when they witnessed the grand finale. "Oh…my…" Hakkai said, swallowing the vomit that had been creeping steadily up his sore throat. Gojyo was looking decidedly green as well, which would have been almost comical had he not been injured so badly. For someone who sliced people into mincemeat on a daily basis, he didn't seem to be handling Seiten Taisei's rampage very well. Perhaps it was because they could all agree that this had been more of the more gruesome spectacles they had witnessed.

And the cause of said spectacle was heading their way. Despite their injuries, they readied themselves for the impending fight. Though, they were all very surprised when the heretic kneeled and cocked his head to the side, looking for all the world like a confused puppy.

Sanzo cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure and banish the last of his own nausea. "Good job, monkey. I knew you could do it," he offered, looking into those demon slit eyes and trying to convey exactly what it was he was trying to say. Again, the creature surprised them when he smiled, an expression that was more characteristic of the gentler side of the being.

"Konzen…good…not…dead. Time…to…go…" the heretic rasped, his tone suddenly somewhat serious as those roiling instincts that they were all so used to threatened to overtake him. He was clearly struggling to keep himself under control.

The priest began to chant, resting his hand gently against the sweaty brow as the energy began to coalesce. As quick as he could, the limiter was summoned and he opened his arms to catch the rather exhausted monkey that he knew so well. Sanzo allowed a small smile to grace his lips, widening just a bit when tired golden eyes looked up at him.

"Hey," the boy whispered, smiling tiredly as he reached up to stroke the golden locks that had fallen in his Sun's face. "I'm really, really hungry."

Those words alone made the other three quake with laughter, as well as they could with being so battered and bruised. Gojyo whooped loudly, regretting it when the action jarred his still-aching head. Hakkai brushed his hand through Goku's tangled hair with a pleased smile on his face, and Sanzo just clutched the boy more tightly to his body. They had him back, and that was all that mattered.

_(A/N: Sorry this one's so short...but I wanted to keep it to the point. I didn't feel it necessary to drag it out. shrugs Oh well. Hope you enjoyed it anyway!)_


	17. 17

------17-----

The four found themselves trundling back to the village on foot, looking worse for wear. A companionable silence had fallen over them, each lost in their own thoughts. They had rested for some time, given that Goku had passed out immediately after their brief conversation and the others were soon to follow. The experience, on the whole, had been utterly exhausting. It was well into the next morning when they awoke again, leaving the house that they had taken refuge in for the night behind.

After they got up and were moving around, Hakkai's healing skills put to use to put everyone to rights again, Goku insisted that they buried the woman behind the house, looking far more mature than they were used to when he had made the request. When asked why, he answered simply, "No one deserves to be left out in the open like that."

Hakkai and Goku, the healthier two of group at the present moment, had taken a shovel in hand and had silently set to work, out of respect for the dead. When they were finished, Goku had fashioned a stone as a headstone in the front, writing what little he knew about the woman on it. He looked as though he had aged tremendously in the past couple of weeks he had been gone, especially with the solemnity he was showing now.

"I'm sure she's in a better place, with her son and husband," Hakkai offered with a strong hand on Goku's shoulder, smiling genuinely and feeling proud of the boy for his actions. He was surprised when Sanzo and Gojyo had joined the two of them, more for Goku's support than respect for the fallen woman. The boy had looked grateful, finally turning around and pointing in the opposite direction.

"Shall we then?"

-----

The sudden barking of a dog broke Sanzo from his thoughts, casting an annoyed glance at the mutt that Goku had insisted on bringing with them. He had to admit that it was adorable watching the boy and the dog interact, wondering what Hakuryuu was going to think about having yet another passenger. He found that he couldn't say no, almost desperate to do anything to keep the boy happy.

Which prompted him along another line of thought. What was going to happen when Goku went back to his old self? Would he reject him and everything that had passed between the two of them? "Goku, I need to talk to you," he asked, watching the boy slow his pace to match his own. To his disdain, the dog (Kuro, he thought to himself) slowed down as well, trotting obediently at Goku's side.

"What's up, Sanzo? You all right?" Goku asked concernedly, cocking his head to the side in much the same fashion that Seiten Taisei had only hours before. It was almost enough to make Sanzo snort with amusement.

The priest nodded, clearing his throat nervously as he thought about exactly how he was going to say what it was he needed to. "Goku…I-I don't know what's going to happen when you get your memories back, but…I wanted you to know that…um…" he started, surprised when his charge cast him one of the brightest smiles he had seen him offer. It startled him into cutting off his sentence.

"Sanzo…you don't have to worry. I remember…your promise. It's probably the only thing I can remember clearly," the boy explained, stopping in his walk and turning towards the blonde with a sudden seriousness on his face. "I was afraid you…would reject it. I love you, Sanzo, even though I'm still not sure about much else. That's the one thing I know for certain. Do you mean it, Sanzo? Do you really love me?"

Damn the boy and his bluntness, for it had made Sanzo blush before he had a chance to quell the almost instantaneous reaction. "I-I do, you know. Even if…if I-I can't say it just yet," he choked out, hardly able to believe that he was even insinuating those words aloud. Not that he didn't mean them with every fiber of his being, but…he was Genjyo Sanzo. This was almost too much for him. "That's settled. Now, get a move on. I want to make it to town before the sun sets," he grumbled, mostly for show as he gently nudged Goku back into a walk.

The boy smiled brightly, pulling the blonde down and stealing a rather heated kiss before running ahead like he was told. He began to jump around animatedly with Kuro, the smile that Sanzo loved so much shining brightly.

"Glad to see that everything worked out okay," Hakkai offered amiably, as soon as the blonde had regained his composure from the unexpected show of affection. He watched smugly as another blush colored the priest's features, not quite as pronounced as the one before, but there nonetheless.

"You shut your mouth right now. Don't make me have to kill you," Sanzo supplied in response, and Hakkai felt another laugh leave his lips. "What goes on between the monkey and me is none of your damn business."

Gojyo slapped Sanzo on the back hard, chuckling when it caused the priest to misstep and nearly fall. "Yeah, sure, you dumb monk. Of course, as soon as we start hearing noises from the other side of the wall, it'll be our business," the redhead teased, cackling evilly when the customary warning shot flew past his shoulder. He ran ahead, as well as he could while limping on his leg, to catch up with the monkey. "So…what do you guys think of all that? That was a wicked transformation she had up her sleeve…and what was up with your evil twin, Goku?"

The boy fell uncharacteristically silent at that, offering only a shrug of his shoulders in reply. "Well, Kougaiji did say that the scientist working for his mother may have been behind this whole chaotic episode…perhaps that's where she got the liquid that transformed her," Hakkai suggested, looking to Sanzo to comment, but he merely shrugged. "As for Seiten Taisei…that certainly was a most interesting development."

"It was really fuzzy…where I was. So many things were whirling through my head. He knew just what was going on and what he had to do. At least one of us does," Goku offered after a moment, his features continuing to appear as old as he truly was, rather than the usual childish behavior he often displayed. "He remembered something, too. I can feel it. Something from a really long time ago."

Sanzo was nearly bursting with curiosity, and a glance around told him that the others found themselves in a similar predicament. "Do you remember it?" he asked cautiously, fighting off the mild disappointment when the boy shook his head. "Well, it doesn't matter anyway. Whatever it was, he didn't kill us, and that's what's important. And maybe it will help descramble that monkey brain of yours," There was a note of tease in his voice, accompanying the smirk that rested on his lips.

Lucky for him, Goku was easily able to read between the lines of that expression, offering his own almost devilish look in response. The implications that the look brought caused Sanzo to blush all over again, but this time he didn't fight it. One thing was for sure, they were going to have a hell of a victory party when they got back to the inn.

_(A/N: Sorry it took so long for the update! School has been top priority, as well as all the personal stuff I've got going on. Hope you enjoy it anyway!)_


	18. 18

-----18-----

Goku groaned loudly as he sat up, stretching his sore limbs and still-tired body as quietly as he could. Despite getting a decent night's sleep, he still felt a bit groggy and exhausted, but he wrote it off as a side effect of Seiten Taisei's little outing the day before. Or perhaps it could have been attributed to the exertive activity he and a certain blonde priest had engaged in before bed.

That thought brought a smile to his lips, even if it still ached a little where their bodies had been connected. He still wasn't sure about the connections that he had to these three men, but he knew that he was right where he belonged. Even with his thoughts still muddied up, he could tell that the monk had been uncharacteristically sweet when they were alone, which suited the golden-eyed boy just fine. He found that he liked the double side to the man he loved so much; it provided a very interesting dynamic to their relationship that was forming. He didn't mind Sanzo's need to shield himself in front of the others, just as long as he got to enjoy the other side to the man when they were alone.

"What the hell are you staring at?" the monk in question asked, sleepiness drawing the sting out of such a usual biting question. Apparently, he had begun to feel Goku's blatant staring and reacted in the only way he knew how. Though, he had to admit that the boy looked decidedly delicious like this, covers pooling around his waist as the morning light cast a luminescence around him. His breath caught, causing him to blush all over again. He certainly seemed to be doing quite a bit of that lately.

Goku laughed, leaning down to kiss Sanzo chastely on the mouth. "You, what else? There's certainly nothing else in this room worth staring at," he teased, squeaking when the larger man pulled him down hard against his chest and kissed him breathless. When they pulled back, he got the pleasure of seeing Sanzo smile again. "You know, I really like this whole dual personality thing. It's kind of kinky."

"Where did you learn that word? And what exactly do you mean by 'dual personality' anyway?" the priest questioned with a frown, though it more closely resembled a pout than anything else. It almost made the boy laugh, but he kept it in for Sanzo's sake.

"Never mind. It doesn't really matter," the smaller of the two murmured, cuddling close to his lover and letting out a sigh of contentment. A sudden feeling of deviousness filled Goku, shifting so that certain portions of their anatomy brushed, sending electrified shocks through both bodies. He wasn't up for another rowdy session like the night before, but that didn't mean that they couldn't enjoy themselves. There were other ways to have sex, after all.

Sanzo hissed in pleasure, taking the cue and immediately flipping the boy onto his back to pin his arms above his head. Their bodies brushed again, with Sanzo slowly grinding his hips into his lover's. Lips met again in a frenzied kiss, the air heating with the possibility of what was to come.

"Are you two up yet? It's almost time to go," Hakkai called through the door with a knock, breaking the tension that had been building in the worst way. Sanzo practically snarled, readying an acerbic reply until a tanned hand covered his mouth. He looked down to notice that the boy beneath him was giggling in silent mirth, reduced to mere shakes of his shoulders.

"If you say something, he'll know we're up. If you don't…" Goku whispered devilishly, smirking seductively. He pulled Sanzo down for another passionate kiss, taking the blonde completely by surprise. Who knew that the monkey could be so crafty? Sanzo decided that it would be best to listen to Goku this once, as the brunette's hand trailed promisingly down his abdomen and hinting at what was to come. Just this once.

-----

"You know as well as I do that they're up," Gojyo commented as he sipped his coffee, causing Hakkai to cock an eyebrow at him. He put the cup down with a contented sigh, smirking despite himself. "Come on, 'Kai. You remember when we used to be like that? Give 'em time. If Mr. High and Mighty's not in a hurry, we shouldn't be either." A seductive wiggle of his eyebrows accompanied his words, making clear his implications.

The healer blushed, chuckling to himself as he rolled his eyes. "No, I don't suppose we should. What do you propose we do to pass the time while they…'ready themselves' as it were?" the former teacher asked, playing right along with his own lover's little game. However, he let out an atypical squeal when the redhead pulled him into his lap to kiss him senseless. "Not here! What if they come downstairs? And what about your injuries?" he sputtered, surprised he could form coherent sentences with the way Gojyo was kissing his neck.

"I have a feeling that we won't be seeing them for a little while," the kappa answered, pulling off Hakkai's shirt in one fluid motion before attacking his chest with his tongue and lips. "Guess we better make it quick and dirty then, shouldn't we?" At Hakkai's ongoing protest about his still sore limbs, he huffed and motioned toward his leg. The healer had managed to mend the broken bones enough to resemble a simple fracture, wrapped securely and propped up on a nearby chair. His arm was in a similar shape, but since when did he let something like that get him down? Never. "They're fine. Now, where were we?"

Somehow, Hakkai couldn't find it in him to argue.

-----

"Doctor…as much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it appears that the experiment has failed," Dr. Huang informed Nii rather gloatingly, flushing hotly when it appeared that the man wasn't listening to anything she said. How typical. "Are you listening to me? I said-"

"I heard you, Dr. Huang. Somehow, I still think that you don't understand anything," he commented, studying the chessboard in front of him carefully before proceeding to make his first move. "The ends always justify the means, my dear. Bear that in mind."

The woman looked rightly confused, hoping that he would elaborate on his words. "What exactly do you mean?" she asked when he didn't, her impatience getting the best of her. She hated being ignored, especially by the man that she worked for. It seemed that he simply did it to infuriate her.

The scientist laughed merrily, which only served to make the woman angrier. "You're so silly, Huang. Life is so full of questions of 'what if' and 'if only,' wouldn't you agree? 'What if I had done this better?' or 'if only I had listened to what so-and-so said to me.' So often people find themselves caught in the endless loop of these questions, driving themselves insane with the ever elusive answers," Nii answered, though his words were completely unrelated to the question Huang had asked in the first place. At her continued confusion, he sighed resignedly as he moved another chess piece. "This was not an experiment to test that silly little drug, useful as it was."

Huang's eyes widened to an almost ridiculous diameter and feeling entirely foolish. "Well then, what was it?" she asked, flushing a little at how moronic she felt. He had played her, yet again, and she had easily fallen into his usual web of games. When he didn't answer, she chose to think the question through on her own. "Wait…you were…gathering information on the boy, weren't you? You knew…" she started, mind reeling with realization. "You knew he would transform, which is what you wanted all along, isn't it?"

"So simple a thing, isn't it? It wasn't fair that everyone else has gotten to see the great Seiten Taisei. Such a wonderful, powerful creature he is, isn't he?" the doctor practically sing-songed, chuckling almost playfully to himself. He was speaking in riddles again, but the woman had learned long ago that she needed to read between the lines if she truly wanted information out of the enigmatic figure.

"So, what do you have in mind for this new data?" she asked simply, deciding that it would more than likely be best to let things lie for the time being. She would ask again, when the doctor wasn't in such a teasing mood.

Nii shrugged, smiling pristinely at her. That look always unnerved her the most, since it made him look like he truly had no soul. "I haven't the faintest idea. If only Kougaiji were so perfect, right? If only our Prince could be so deadly," he replied vaguely, smirking knowingly despite the hollowness of his words.

"You are so frustrating! Call me when you have an idea!" Huang fumed, storming out of the laboratory and making a racket as she was walking down the hallway. The click-clack of her high heels slowly faded into the distance, leaving the only sound of whirring machinery in the lab.

Nii lit another cigarette, inhaling the smoke deeply as he picked up one of white pieces from the board to study it better. He smirked, clutching the pawn tightly in his hand as his shoulders shook in silent laughter. "That was a beautiful move, Koumyou…but I guess it's my turn again, isn't it? What sort of game shall we play next?"

-----END-----

_(And so it is complete. Sorry about taking so long to get this finished, but I hope you enjoy this nonetheless. For all of those who stuck with me throughout the whole fic, as well as those who joined me sporatically throughout, thank you guys so much. Your reviews and comments were enough to make me want to keep writing this. While there will be a sequel, (eventually) I'm currently working on another project called "Liturgy." Again, thanks for taking the time to read my story and let me know what you think. You guys know who you are. -winks-)_


End file.
